Legacy I : The Catalyst
by SynnoveD
Summary: Seven years after Ultimecia's defeat, a Galbadian-based syndicate is arranging total political control for reasons unknown. The Headmaster of Balamb Garden & his team must weigh the outcomes as Seifer faces his impending execution. Mature Readers Only!
1. Subject X

**Disclaimer:** _As much as I think it'd be awesome, I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, it's characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction._

This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consentual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

**Author Notes** are at the bottom of Chapter, if any. Thank you for reading!

* * *

[ACT I]

**Prologue: Subject X**

_Mission Report _

_The recovery of Balamb Team was successful. We received confirmation that Balamb Garden would accept the request for SeeD assistance and immediately formed a team to be dispatched to Balamb. Disguised as staff, we watched our objectives board and enter their rooms. As ordered, we waited until after meals were served to seal the doors, as this would keep suspicion to a minimum. When the doors were sealed we released the toxin which had already been installed in the SeeD Cabin vents before the train arrived in Balamb. The gas we used, a synthetic toxin similar to what we would find in Grats was dispatched at approximately 21:00. _

_We were instructed to wait 10 minutes before entering the rooms, as this would give the gas time to affect the targets and settle. At 21:11 we began removing the seals from the doors. _

_As we moved inside, Squad B and Squad C were dispatched to recover the targets later identified as SeeD members Trepe (01), Wilhelm (04), Dincht (02) and Vinwick (03). The secondary objectives were successful, as when both squads transported the SeeD Members to our private cabin, all four targets were unconscious. This is where we encountered the severe setback. _

_As my team opened the door to the last SeeD Cabin; we detected the strong smell of something that was later discovered as a rare form of oil. The entire cabin car was coated in this thick substance, and made it difficult to maneuver. After a quick inspection, we located Mireille (05). She had seemed to have been in the only place where this mess hadn't touched. I instructed Private Elsworth and Greene to check Mireille's vitals but once her body had been turned over, we heard movement on the other side of the room. It was followed by the sound of chains rattling. As the room had been coated with oil, as stated previously, what light we had was from the door and our headgear. At the end of the corridor Corporal Garrett entered to report that the other targets were secure. As Greene and I looked towards Garrett we heard Elsworth begin shouting. When we looked back he was being drug towards the corner where we discovered Almasy (06). What a sight. Almasy had somehow 'suspended' himself a few inches from the ground by this oily substance that seemed to begin dripping 'upward' toward the ceiling. Almasy had appeared to be in some form of trance. He did not respond to his name, or even acknowledge that we were in the cabin with him. Almasy looked deathly ill—so pale we could clearly see the dark purple veins under his skin. Chains with a thick brown substance were tight across his chest and arms—they were moving almost as if they were alive! We've never seen anything like it! _

_Elsworth was at Almasy's feet tangled in one of the chains. He remained calm, until Greene lifted her weapon toward our objective. This quickly provoked a negative response from these chains and we watched as a blur shot toward Greene, knocking her to the wall. It was clear that our presence was not welcomed. _

_I advised my team to keep their distance as Lieutenant Crask and I moved Mireille out of the room. Inhuman screams were present as we dragged her out of the car. When we turned her over to our medical team for examination, Crask heard our team shouting from inside the train car. By the time we arrived, the teams had moved outside the cabin and were opening fire at Almasy. When the firing ceased, Private Elsworth and Private Greene were 'thrown' out of the cabin, limbs broken and covered in the black mess. The target was unharmed, but was now covered in the blood of my teammates. He stepped forward, unnaturally, as if something else was controlling his movements. _

_Lieutenant Crask and I decided to approach Almasy on our own, in hopes to subdue the target and get him in restraints ASAP. He seemed to react negatively to the light, to our advantage this cornered him. We exhausted our efforts, but when we did finally restrain him, he continued to show this inhuman strength. As Special Op Galbadian Soldiers, we are frequently treated with genome therapy. Almasy showed a level parallel to one who would be junctioned. He fought against the restraints we had bound him in, and once exhausted; we were finally able to transport him to our vehicle. _

_Both Elsworth and Green are stable and currently on medical leave, but it has been several days and Almasy is still in this trance. We have failed to retrieve Dr. Kozeransk, Almasy's primary caregiver in the Detention of Control. Medical records that were seized from the DoC indicate that Almasy was undergoing experimental procedures, many involving use of Guardian Force DNA strains and para-magic 'injections.' With luck, our specialists will be able to bring Almasy out of this possession and get the final part of our mission underway. _

_This concludes my mission report. If there are further questions regarding my documentation, do not hesitate to contact me. _

_Captain J. Eller _

Captain Eller stared at the subject as though he was a freak of nature. He shook his head, remembering what he and his team had to do to retrieve the target. Nothing was too difficult for him, but his conscience weighed heavily on his last mission. He fought in the Sorceress War, against the same people they were hiring to help. Even worse, his former commandant was restrained not even five feet from him, heavily sedated and hardly conscious. Eller pondered for the first time how he could've been swayed by a man who was younger than he by at least ten years. He couldn't make sense of it, even more so why they were going to have this same criminal who tried to kill General Caraway out and about in Galbadia. Eller would much rather see this man put back in the Department of Corrections than out on the street, regardless of who he was.

There was a loud click from behind the Captain and a hissing sound that indicated the doors were being opened. As he stood at attention, two doctors walked inside, making their way to the table which sat across from the prisoner, 5-2-7.

The doctors did not react when officials from the council and the Director of Operations walked in well.

'_I knew the guy was important but why so many people? Hell, even the Director is here..' _Eller thought as he greeted them with a formal salute, standing at ease when the Director waved her hand as a gesture to relax. "This is the Squad Captain who apprehended the patient." The Director quietly whispered to an official. She glanced at Eller, her tone stating she was appreciative of his accomplishments. Eller watched as the doctors' assistant turned on the two cameras in the room. One pointed to the doctors, the other to the target.

"It is the seventh of December, year 2042. We are interviewing Prisoner 5-2-7—well, former prisoner of the Galbadian Department of Control. For the sake of this assessment, he will be referred to as Subject X. Subject X has been restrained for his own protection, as well as the protection of those present in the room. With us this morning is the Director of Operations, and various officials from the Republic. This is our third attempt to talk with X and to try to see if we can draw him out of his _trance_." It was as if the doctor couldn't find a better word for it. Trance, Eller thought. It didn't even describe it. The doctor took a drink from the cup of water on the table and cleared his throat. "Last night he had shown signs of clarity, responding to those who entered his room without the outbursts we've come to understand. We are hoping to see this change in today's interview." The doctor turned to Eller, gesturing with his hand. "Would you please?"

Eller nodded and cautiously approached the target. He had no idea why they would want this monster to awaken. The last time he had seen this man conscious, he was clearly possessed with some kind of demon. As he touched the end of his baton to the subject's arm, he was anxious of what would happen, if anything. This monster had put two of his soldiers in the hospital; did they really want him awake? It took Eller a lot of effort to keep himself from hitting the bastard across the face with the baton, but eventually, his eyes opened.

X weakly mouthed the word 'ouch' as he closed his eyes again. His eyes burned from the blinding light. The stinging headache throbbed at the base of his neck and it only got worse when he moved.

"We don't know what's going to happen when he's fully conscious, so remain alert." Eller heard the doctor order as the Captain backed away, his fist grew tight around the baton he carried.

"My name is Dr. Kapnel and this is Dr. Til. You are in a facility in Galbadia. You are safe. Can you understand what I am saying to you?"

Project X opened and closed his mouth, his breath hitching. His throat felt raw, his mouth sticky. Instead of replying, he attempted to move his hands away from the steel cuffs keeping him attached to the upright surgical table. His head fell forward and he realized he was coated in a dry sticky substance, black in color.

"The fuck…?" His clothes were gone, what covered the dignity he had left was a very cold metal brace that also functioned to hold his hips in place. He watched his chest rise and fall. His toned body shivered when panic began to set in. "Where am I?" His eyes couldn't focus. The blurry tunnel vision gave no reason to believe he could see anything past the blinding lights shining in his eyes. He heard a voice speak,

"Can you tell us your name?"

Behind the light, he saw black human silhouettes, but nothing that could define a definite answer. He shook his head, lips parting as he coughed. "My name—no! Get me out of this thing!" He jerked his arms forward, trying to pry his hands through the rings of the cuffs. The table he was strapped to was secured and did not budge, seemingly in spite of his efforts.

"If you cooperate we will be happy to release you, but first we need to run a few tests. Can you tell us what you remember before you woke up here?"

As he struggled, X tried to think back, recalling any memory. It all seemed fuzzy, dark. What he thought he saw was a glimpse of him lying in a train car. He could see for a brief second that he was drenched in sweat, his body was convulsing and his eyes turning black. Vividly, for a brief moment, he saw himself laying there, a trickle of black spilling out of the corner of his mouth as he seized. It all seemed like a light was flickering in his mind, desperately wanting to show him the big picture. He began to question if that was him at all. How would he have been able to see this all happening? Nothing made sense to him at this point. The shadows continued to encourage him to speak but he refused to give them that satisfaction.

As if he gained a boost in strength, X screamed, yanking his arm forward and snapping the metal chain holding the cuffs together. Almost instantly Captain Eller was there, holding down his arm as the prisoner fought.

Startled cries were heard behind where the doctors sat, and X watched as the dark shadows began to leave through a door in the back.

"If you don't calm down you will be sedated!" One of the voices ordered. "Bring her in—IMMEDIATELY!"

Subject X reared his head back and launched it forward, mashing it into Eller's own.

The injured officer wiped the blood from his nose and looked to X, baton ready to strike. As he raised the baton over his head, X's salvation entered the room. "Wait!"

The two men stared toward the light, watching as Quistis Trepe lunged forward, her hands going over Subject X's broad chest protectively. Eller sneered, holstering his baton and stepping away as Quistis' breath slowed. Her hands moved to the man's face, comforting him.

"It's me! It's me…Are you okay?"

"Quist…" The man breathed, his eyes closed. "Where's Nino? Zell, Arc and Thatch? Are they all safe?"

Quistis nodded as her hand brushed the blonde hair from his face, trying to get him to relax, to keep him focused. "You need to tell them what you know." Her eyes lowered to his neck, watching as his throat pulsated from his heartbeat. "They know about the Guardian. Please, tell them what you know."

His words slurred as he tried to form them. "I can't…"

Quistis nodded her head before he could finish. Her voice was gentle and light as she spoke. "You can. You can trust them, I promise." Quistis then dropped the volume of her voice to a bare whisper. "They want to put you back in there." She didn't need to rely on words for him to understand what she meant. "Please. Tell them."

X winced as the images came to his mind in a hard rush. He remembered how terrified Nino looked before she passed out, how helpless he felt when he realized they were trapped.

"I was knocked out in the train." His head throbbed, it felt clouded. He could no longer keep his eyes open. It didn't help that his teeth couldn't stop chattering, the air in the room felt like ice to his bare body. Everything about him was clouded, his insides felt churned up, ears felt clogged. Nothing about him felt any resemblance to normal.

"What about after that?"

"I remember the smell of oil. _Really_ old oil. It made the air thick." Tears welled up. Regardless of what his old comrade told him, he knew deep down he would remain Subject X from now on. "I called him out! I summoned him!"

"Very good." The doctor tented his fingers, leaning forward. "Let's take a step backward, could you tell us when or where you were born? How old are you? Tell us as much as you can."

"I…" He winced, trying to open his eyes further. His lips quivered from the searing pain in his head. "What's going to happen to…" His voice failed him as the Captain approached him cautiously, with a sturdier pair of cuffs. Tears rolled down his eyes as his body failed to prevent the Captain from restraining him again. He watched Quistis move away, but keeping her hand on his arm. "Please…don't send me back there." He shook his head and closed his eyes when no one replied. His voice was pitiful, almost like a child, eyes reflecting a similar role. The doctors wouldn't understand—none of them would.

"My name is Seifer Almasy. I was born in Dollet. December 22nd, 2017. I was a war-orphan. I am twenty-five years old."

"Thank you. You're making fantastic progress. Let us start from the beginning."

* * *

**Author's Notes**  
Part of my 2011 New Year's resolution was that I was going to finish this story and get it posted so anybody could read it. I decided I'd start a little early.

This story stands at over 90k words. I'm trying to go chapter by chapter and shortening, and making any edits or changes that need to happen. I will probably post another chapter before my brain shuts off for the night. As for ratings, well, it's going to be an as-we-go kind of thing. I didn't want to go on a rating-frenzy so I tried to keep it what I know is definitely in there kind of thing. Anyway, enough talking on my end. Thanks for reading! :P


	2. The Gentle Hum of Anxiety

**Disclaimer:** _As much as I think it'd be awesome, I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, it's characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction._

This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consentual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

**Author Notes** are at the bottom of Chapter, if any. Thank you for reading!

* * *

**Chapter One: The Gentle Hum Of Anxiety  
**

Journal Entry #241

_It's been seven years since I've written in this journal. Reading back on my last entry, I can't help but reflect on what an old friend said to me before it all fell apart. __"We will all be damned when this is over. I'm a monster, and there's no getting around that."_

_I'm starting to question the loyalty to my family. If all we are doing is for it's worth in gil, why can't we do good for once? Why do these people have to die? I know it's not my job to know, but I feel like I need to have a reason to kill this target, just like the rest of the family. I'm sick of not knowing what this is all for. The generic responses I get are no longer keeping me satisfied. _

_Seifer's words are still on my mind. I should be concentrated on my target, but I can't bring myself to believe that this is what I should be doing with my life. It's been seven years, I need to do something. _

She was seventeen when she worked under the Sorceress and her Knight. Her last orders were from Seifer and they were to prevent the SeeD's from reaching Sorceress Adel before the junction with Rinoa Heartilly. Now twenty-three, she stood in the ledge of an open window inside the building labeled Trabia Garden Library. She scanned the area for a good spot to shoot in the cloudless statuesque female bent around, lifting up a cable launcher. Aiming at a lower roof diagonally from the courtyard; the brunette fires a cable across. A satisfied grin widens on her face as she turns, securing the line on an I-beam.

"Don't get too excited, Nino Mireille." She hoisted a t-shaped cable handle onto the thick line. Grabbing her kit bag and securing it across her back, she was ready for flight. Taking in a deep breath, Nino stepped off the ledge of the window and into the deep night. Sliding across the long drop, she landed safely on top of the Dormitories. She peered over the edge, relaxing when she noticed hardly anybody was awake yet—nobody was even outside. It amazed her how safe this place felt. The amazement turned to guilt when she reminded herself she was the enemy here. The sun would be up the next half hour. She had to hurry.

Forcing open the access door, she stepped into the stairwell, removing the black leather jacket and pants. She hurriedly changed her clothes, mimicking a SeeD Cadet. Her long brown hair was tucked under the itchy blonde wig; a headband matching the yellow sash she tied around her neck was placed delicately on the wig. As she shoved an earpiece in her ear, she turned it on, "Reporting in." She waited for a response.

"_What's your situation?_" A voice responded curtly in her ear.

"The cable line is loose. Hekate should be able to retrieve the line from the Library now." She cleared her throat. "I'm inside the Dormitory, top floor."

"_Students are waking up, you better hurry."_ A young female voice confirmed the noise of a Cafeteria around her.

"This isn't my first contract so I think I know what I'm doing." Nino slipped a gun into the holster under her SeeD jacket.

"_Just don't fuck this up."_ The curt voice spoke a second time, his voice lacking the encouragement every father should have. Nino's father wasn't like any father she had ever known. His voice was never caring or loving, always cold and angry; much like the rest of the crew that she worked with.

"I won't." She said firmly, lowering her head. Her long black hair blew in her face, shielding her from the cold winds of Trabia.

"_Our client doesn't appreciate that we've delayed for so long. They're paying us a lotta money that I don't plan on losin' so just get it done and get the hell out of there._" He never told her he loved her, or that he was proud of her. He never encouraged her to do anything but kill. He wanted a son, but he had a daughter. He didn't want a princess; he wanted a soldier. "Yes sir."Nino snapped, firm and short. There was no such thing as a conversation between her and her father. There was a click and then silence.

* * *

"I think that's everything you're going to need in Balamb!" Rinoa grinned, sealing a box with tape and stacking it on top of a neat arrangement of moving boxes. She brushed her hair back and tied it into a ponytail, sighing. She watched Selphie walk in with two full luggage bags. She made a grunt and fell backwards into a lounge chair.

"Gods! Moving is such a pain!" She laughed, breathing heavily. "Thankfully, I've got movers to get all this for me! I just to make sure I'm on that helicopter in the next 40 minutes." She stuck her tongue out, giggling.

Rinoa pushed a box near the door and sat on the floor. She admired the pictures on the walls. A majority of them are of Selphie and her friends, but most were of the old team. Each picture had at least one person smiling at the camera. She smiled, thinking of the nostalgia, the photos of them on the beach, at dinner, in Esthar…

Angelo walked in the room with a ball and plopped down on the hardwood floor. "Angelo! C'mere boy!" Selphie snatched it out of his mouth and tossed it down the hall. The sound of claws pit pattering across the floor disappeared down the bright hall, and into Selphie's bedroom. "You sure are excited about going to Balamb…then again, if I were in love I would be too…" Rinoa's voice trailed as Selphie stretched her arms, she was thinking of her ex-boyfriend. "It's just a shame you're moving back to Timber. Can't you give Squall another chance?"

"After what he did to me? I don't think so. Lillia can't be raised around that. She needs to get away from this military lifestyle. Squall wanted to enroll her next year without my permission!" When Squall and Rinoa had Lillia, it got more and more difficult raising her. Squall had a very strict plan for their daughter, when all Rinoa wanted was for her daughter to play outside and explore. When she realized Selphie didn't get it, she shook her head. "I just don't want her raised like us. The discipline, the rules…she needs to be in Timber, where we have that liberation we worked so hard for. She smacked the floor, standing. "Come on, let's get ready to go!" Rinoa dusted her pants and shuffled into the kitchen.

* * *

"She's taking too long." Keim said with disappointment. He looked upon his team. His leading man, Torrin, Breya and Urvo; his deadliest snipers. They all sat silently, waiting for something to happen. Torrin fingered the tip of his blade, feeling the skin waiting to break, staring at his chief. Torrin joined the team four years ago. Once a teacher at Galbadia Garden, he had instructed students on elemental magic. He kept his reasons for leaving Garden to himself, a proportionate gap between then and now left to ponder by those who let their imaginations run wild. Corrupted by greed, he joined the Syndicate four years before this moment. Since then, he's been the one Keim would call on for his targets. With resentment in his voice, he snapped at his chief, "This could have been my shot." He pressed his skin to the blade, piercing it. "I know, Torrin," Keim said. "But I couldn't risk you being recognized." Keim sighed and bit the tip of the phone.

"Nino is like water." Urvo said quietly. "She flows and goes with the current. She will blend in and go for the kill." Native to the very few villages in Centra, Urvo Vrustikiev spoke with a heavy accent. A man the same age as Nino's father and carried enough wisdom for the entire team. "This is her first mission in almost two years." Breya said quietly as she fixed her blonde ponytail. "She hasn't killed since the Council initiated the Guardian Force Ban."

The head Council that was established after the Sorceress War initiated a ban on Magic and Guardian Forces after all of the monsters had been completely wiped out. They found them dangerous to the health of the user and the lives of others. This also included Sorcerers and Sorceresses. Rinoa Heartily was told to surrender her powers, forced to wear a bangle at all times to prevent her from being able to use her abilities. A few short months of discovering that people still ventured to Trabia to fight monsters, they restricted Healing Items as well; now only select abilities are allowed to be practiced. Nino's fighting had never based itself of Guardian Forces, but she used Para-Magic when her hidden blade was not enough.

"Nino, what's your status." Breya asked into her headset. Not a born Mireille, she was adopted into the family. She was a tall blonde with blue eyes, a trait many Estharians carried over Centrans. Breya often presented herself in heavy makeup and clothes which accentuated her attributes. A deadly killer, she used it against her enemies. "_I'm__ making my way to the target's room. I've got a walk ahead of me, but I think I can get there before anybody suspects the target is…well, a target._" Breya smiled to herself and handed the headset to Urvo.

"Your first mission in a great while. Are you prepared?" Urvo waited for her response as he poured a spoonful of sugar into his tea. He pressed his back against the wall of the van, sipping on the hot liquid. "_Of course I am._" This brought a smile to his lips. "And what of the poison?" Nino Mireille was an alchemist, originally. She practiced her skill for years, creating newer and more powerful spells that could put an Ultima to shame with the help of Urvo. She was intelligent; but not a genius.

"_Already in its device and loaded…don't worry, 'hämas.' I'm ready._"

Urvo was pleased to hear her voice with such confidence. "Dat soun afrilfelset, akta deno makna gomedigo hamas'met." The Centran raised Nino to speak their native tongue fluently. Centran being a dead language, it was easy to protect the relays.

For most of Nino's childhood, Urvo and Seri raised her, along with Breya, Nino's adopted sister. When her father was around, the only attention he would give would be during training. She barely remembered her mother, but she would often hum the same song she remembered hearing her sing to her baby brother Lux. After she died, Seri performed as their mother when Keim and Urvo were away. Lux was weak as a baby, and Nino was left to raise him with Breya and Seri.

Lux grew to be bedridden on a constant basis, and so once the proud father finally realized that he would never have the son he wished for, he abandoned trying to help Lux and solely focused on Nino. Nino grew up, with a great heart that, unfortunately, was misguided. Unsure of right and wrong until the time she and Seifer Almasy had their first encounter.

* * *

"Have you heard anything from Irvine? Zell hasn't said much about him." Selphie shifted the baggage onto her other arm as she stepped out of the small apartment. Rinoa followed, moving out of the way when the Garden staff arrived, moving boxes and bags onto a cart.

"It's hard to say with him. My last email was of him talking about being with some new girlfriend and how using his title as Garden Commander in a bar really plays out to his advantage." Rinoa shook Angelo's leash, signaling him that it was time to go. "Zone has been good to me lately though, he spends a lot of time with Lillia, more time than Squall ever would."

Selphie sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if things had been different. If Irvine wasn't such a pervert and if Zell had been interested in that librarian…I guess I'm kind of happy how it's played out for me." Rinoa faked a smile, tightening her grip on the luggage handle. "Happiness is all that matters, right?"

They continued in silence, making their way down the long winding corridors. Selphie stuck her hands in her pockets, looking over to Rinoa as she listened to the ambience of the Garden. "So, Quistis told me I shouldn't bring it up, but I gotta. I know you heard about Seifer..." She watched Rinoa's expression, being careful with what she said next. "What do you think? Is it closure for you?"

"Don't talk to me like it was _my_ choice!" Rinoa snapped, causing Selphie to stop dead in her tracks, speechless. "So you're taking the news about Seifer pretty hard." Selphie shot Rinoa a look of concern. But before Rinoa could mention it, she knew exactly what was wrong. They continued to walk, keeping their voices low. "It's just that… I feel like the bad guy." She said, brushing her dark hair out of her eyes. "Never have I wished for something so badly until now. The things he's done…it's unforgivable and he deserves every ounce of what he gets. And Squall, well we were _supposed_ to be getting married but…now I don't know…" Rinoa played with the coins in her pocket. "After my father and I reconciled and after they got that _bastard_ put away, I feel like if I even tried to patch things up with Squall, he'd pull the same guilt card I pulled on him with Zone…" Rinoa's phone began to ring. She answered, walking to the edge of the now crowded hallway.

"Target is in sight." Nino walked alongside a group of girls matching her uniform. She felt the tip of the needle in her sleeve. All she needed to do was get close enough to Selphie Tilmitt and inject her with the powerful blend of deadly toxins. She desperately wanted to see it work on a human subject, but had to resort to testing on the monsters near the hideout. Standing around wouldn't look professional on her part, and the poison took a while to get through the bloodstream before it began to liquefy living tissue.

"Getting closer." She whispered more so for herself than to anyone else.

"I will miss you both so much! Don't worry! I'll be back in time for the Garden Festival! You can count on it!"

She could hear the conversation between Tilmitt and another person, her back was turned towards her. She lifted her palm, the device attached to her wrist ready to go. When she would turn around, Nino would stage a stumble and strike. Apologize, laugh it off and walk out from the concrete canopy. Her second plan would be to just shoot her in the head and run. Thankfully, everything was running so smooth.

'_C__oncentrate._' She steadied her arm, pretending to go with the flow of people in the halls, becoming invisible, blending in. "Come on…just turn around." Nino said to herself in a silent whisper. After a few minutes Selphie Tilmitt turned around, looking dead on at Nino, smiling.

Nino smiled back.

* * *

He stared into the reflection of the glass, smoothing out the shirt he wore for the meeting in the Headmasters Office. He waited as the elevator took him to the top floor, having trouble remembering the last time he was requested with such urgency.

_What could be so pressing that I wouldn't have time to finish teaching my class? There must have been a political attack… No, whatever it is…I'm sure it's just nothing. _

He had been teaching his students out in the field when he received the call. Urgent red letters on his phone read "_120-A…" _(Urgent Conference) "…_Report to HM Office immediately. [END OF MESSAGE]._" He hardly had time to get back to his room and change before making it here. His fingers rapped on the metal rail that ran alongside the wall, feeling guilty for making Cid wait. Not to mention, receiving a second text message reminding him of the 120-A would mean a dock in his pay for delaying the Headmaster's time.

The doors of the elevator opened and the man made hurried strides towards the reception desk. A young female, no older than seventeen, sat behind the large cherry red desk, hastily typing up a memo. The man had never seen her before. She looked up when she heard the footsteps, standing at attention and bowing in respect to the man standing before her. "My name is Squall Leonhart; I'm here to see Headmaster Cid." He pulled out his credentials, surprised when the young girl didn't bother to look at them. "Oh! Commander Leonhart!"

"No, just Instructor. I haven't been in the Commander position in years." Squall rubbed his temple, giving a slight smirk. "My deepest apologies Instructor Leonhart! Headmaster Cid is in his office." She pressed a green button on her desk. As the doors slowly opened, she led him into Headmaster Cid's private office. Squall's eyes followed the lush red carpet that led to Cid's desk. Behind the desk he could see the mountains. The seasonal change caused the mountains to develop more snow. Fall was near, but not quite there yet. He noticed that what wall cover there was, it had been painted from beige to a natural orange. Neutral hues and foreign plants were displayed in a tasteful fashion. The office had been expanded and there had been a sitting area as well as an area leading towards the conference rooms. "The Headmaster will be very pleased to see you've come on such short notice. Unfortunately he is speaking with Executive Assistant Trepe right now, but it shouldn't be much longer. Would you like me to get you anything? Perhaps you would care for a bottled water or tea?" Squall turned and watched as the small brunette offered him a seat. She was trying so hard to impress him that she nearly tripped on the stairs that led to the seating area. "No need to feel nervous." Squall leaned against the wall. "I understand having a new job in Garden can be tough."

"Thank you, Mr. Leonhart." Her smile held a hint of boosted confidence. Squall Leonhart was someone she admired. Hearing him speaking to her directly melted any fears and left her feeling weightless, powerful. He was the only reason she had transferred from her former Garden. He rewarded her hospitality with a small smile. "You know, I think I'll take your offer up on the bottled water." Her face beamed as she hurriedly left the room and she returned shortly with the refreshment. As she reached him, the phone at her desk rang and the smile faded. "Thank you..." Squall smirked, taking the bottle. His fingers brushed hers unintentionally. The young girl felt sparks fire off inside her; she couldn't waste the opportunity to tell him her name. "My name is Ryzia. If you need anything else, _please_ let me know." Her eyes felt heavy as she walked away, doing her best at keeping composure. As the doors closed, Squall sipped on his water, waiting patiently for Cid and Quistis to return. He could hear them on the terrace talking.

"There you are!"

Squall turned and watched as Edea entered the room. She wore a floor length dress with a long deep yellow scarf around her arms. The dress was a faded floral pattern, wooden beads trimming her neckline. Her arms stretched out to reach Squall, smiling and laughing. Her long hair flowed around her as she embraced Squall, holding him tight.

"Hello Matron, it's a blessing to see you're well." She pulled away, her smile fading. "You don't know why you've been asked to come, do you?"

"No, I don't." Squall felt her link her arm into his, holding his hand. "How serious is this meeting?" They sat down, Edea's hands still holding onto Squall. Her hand moved up to Squall's face, brushing the bangs from his eyes. "How are you, Squall? It's been a long time since we last talked like this." Squall looked at Matron for a moment. If there was anybody he could entrust his feelings with, it was Matron. "Rinoa has decided to give up on salvaging our relationship. She's going to take Lillia and Angelo back to Timber. I feel like I have no say in the matter but I know she doesn't want our daughter growing up in Garden. Lillia turns six in a few months and Rinoa's telling me that she wants Zone to take the two of them to Deling to see her father." Edea sighed, holding Squall's hand tight. He shook his head. "I feel like there wasn't much in our relationship during these past few years, but I guess destroying an evil Sorceress from the future and saving her from death wasn't enough." He was quiet for a moment. Edea smiled and nodded for him to continue. "I… I miss the days when SeeD was more than what it's become now. Now we've served our purpose, what good are we? Are we just a Special Forces Academy? "

"Squall, you know we're more than just that." Edea and Squall looked towards the doors to the terrace, where Cid and Quistis stood. Squall stood, saluting his Headmaster. He glanced at Quistis, who had her head turned to the mountain range. The clipboard hid most of her face, an obvious sign that something was not right.

"My apologies, sir. I didn't mean to negatively criticize Garden in such a manner." He said, standing at attention.

Cid laughed, shaking his head. He motioned for Squall to follow him.

"Squall, let's take a walk. Darling, would you join Quistis? I think it's best we inform the rest of our…children." He looked at Squall. "Squall and I need to discuss a few things before we leave for the Villa. We will join you in the terrace."

_The villa in Centra? Why would they go back to the old Orphanage? What the hell is going on?_

Edea stood gracefully, bowing in respect to her husband and walked towards Quistis. Squall could see that tears were welling in Quistis' blue eyes. She cupped the blonde's cheek as she smiled sadly at Edea through her glasses. "I'll have Ryzia get that list ready for you sir." Quistis started towards the doors to the lobby, her head low as she walked with their Matron.

Squall walked alongside with Cid. The open hallway that led to the terrace wrapped around the office. A breeze was apparent when they turned the corner. For a moment they walked in silence, tension building with each step. "Garden has come a long way from when it was just a concept." Cid continued. "Squall, it wouldn't be fair to you if I never told you this…you're the son Edea and I always dreamed of having." Squall's pace slowed. The feeling of uneasiness he felt was almost unbearable. "What is it that you're trying to tell me?" Cid laughed, sticking a hand inside his vest pocket. He pulled out a silver pocket watch. "Let us pretend I am resigning from my position of Headmaster. Who would you feel could be capable of the responsibilities that are bestowed upon them?" Squall crossed his arms. "Dr. Kadowaki is semi-retired and only comes to Garden for special cases. Instructor Aki has wanted your job for years. But honestly, I don't see him being anything more than an Instructor." He put more thought to it. "In fact, most of the Instructors aren't qualified, and I know that the Garden staff is enough trouble as it is."

"A very motivating speculation, Squall."

Squall thought to himself as they neared the other side of the pathway. _There isn't much to speculate. It's right there in your face, sir. _

The rest of the walk consisted of awkward silence. When they reached the terrace, Edea was already waiting with Quistis. She was holding her clip-board close to her chest, choking back emotions.

"Please, sit." Cid offered quietly.

_That's it. I've had enough of this dancing around. _

"Sir, you're avoiding something. I demand to know why I had to leave my students out on the field with Instructor Dincht!" Squall threw his hand out at the mountain-side. "All this talk, I want to know what angle you're getting at!" His white button down shirt fluttered when a large gust of wind hit him.

"I'm dying, Squall."

…_What? Matron? _Squall gave Edea a look as though she slapped him across the face. He carefully sat down, as if sitting next to Edea would shatter her to pieces. Quistis broke down and began to cry.

"Being possessed by Ultimecia's power has poisoned my body. I've done all that I can to keep myself alive for as long as I have, but I'm so tired, Squall." She continued to smile as she spoke. She watched the tears well in Squall's eyes.

"I don't want tears and I don't want any sadness." She looked back at Quistis, who quickly composed herself, but failed. Cid reached for her hands.

"But Matron, you can't expect me to just-" Squall swallowed, closing his eyes.

"…just take it with a grain of salt?" Quistis shuddered.

Edea wiped the single tear running down Squall's cheek. "I don't expect either of you to, but I want you to know that I am accepting death, welcoming it with warm arms." Edea looked to the floor, her smile gone. "Death is never joyous news, but you know that it's inevitable." She felt Squall take her hand. "Dr. Odine gives me a few months, and in these few months I have left, I want to spend them with Cid."

_This is why you're leaving, Headmaster. You're leaving because…_

"We don't want the other's to know… at least not yet." Cid rubbed the back of his neck. "When Edea is gone, I don't know what I will do…perhaps go on my own adventure. But until then, I have to spend the rest of my time I have with her in a place where I know we're happy."

_The orphanage…_

"Squall…please talk to us." Edea touched his shoulder.

"You give me this news _today_?" Squall looked at her, as if it were her fault she was dying. He took in a deep breath and exhaled. "What is it that I can do for you, Matron?"

"With Cid gone, the Garden would crumble. We are asking that you take on the burden of being Headmaster to Balamb Garden. This would include a place in the Unified Council."

"I don't know what to say." Squall rubbed his eyes, standing.

"Will you do this for me, Squall?" Edea carefully asked.

"I've already compiled a list of replacements for your class." Quistis offered. "You won't be doing this alone." Her voice became low. "I will be assisting you."

_I renounced my position of Commander when Lillia was three. I did it so she could have a father. Now Cid wants me to become Headmaster? There are more qualified SeeD members who would be more than willing to take this role. Why does it have to be me?_

Cid stood behind Squall.

"Squall, I wouldn't put you or Quistis in this position if I knew you two wouldn't be able to handle the responsibilities…"

_Being in a position of power like this…it's also Matron's dying wish…this is almost too much to handle. What other choices do I have? _

Squall sighed. "It's an honor, sir."

His phone went off, signaling a message from Garden. A few seconds after Quistis' phone made the same noise. Both of them answered the message.

"_100-2 Class A_ S. Tilmitt ID 42345,_" (Assassination Attempt on SeeD Official[s]) "_Report to HM Office Immediately…REPORT TO HM. [END MESSAGE]_"


	3. Pressure is a Privilege

**Disclaimer:** _As much as I think it'd be awesome, I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, it's characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction._

This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consensual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

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**! This chapter contains violent sexual abuse. I do not approve of the act, however I choose to write it into this story. If this offends you, please redirect yourself accordingly !**

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**Two: Pressure is a Privilege **

Nino brushed her teeth angrily, staring into the reflection of the mirror. Watching as the foam flooded the corners of her mouth. Tears welled in her eyes as she breathed heavier and heavier. The water made a hissing noise as it spewed from the faucet, steam rising and making Nino's face moist. She spat out the foam, wiping any spearmint residue from her mouth as she turned off the faucet. With a sigh, she unbuttoned her pants and walked into the bedroom quietly, closing the bathroom door pressed against her back.

"How did it go?" A voice from the couch startled her, but Nino didn't turn around. She knew who it was. "The poison was injected. We should know soon if she died on the helicopter or in Garden." She stared at the floor, avoiding Torrin's piercing gaze. "I want to take some time off." Regretting her statement, she held her breath as Torrin laughed.

"Why would we want to do that?" Torrin asked, standing. "Why would you want to escape paradise?"

"Because I'm exhausted, I just want to have some time for myself…" Nino said harshly.

"No. We still have a list of people that need to be taken care of." He walked to the bar, mixing himself a drink. "With your new poison, it shouldn't be difficult at all taking each one of them down."

"I just need some time alone." Nino walked over to the dresser, opening the top drawer and taking out its contents. It wasn't long before she felt his breath on the nape of her neck. For a moment her heart felt like it stopped beating as his hand went to her hair, brushing it aside as his lips kissed her shoulder. Her eyes went to the mirror in front of them, watching as he stared at himself. His blue eyes flickered with hate, resentment.

"Stop it, Tor."

"It's all in good fun, Ni..." His hair was the type of striking brown that was so deep it could pass for a lighter shade of black. His cheekbones were high placed and defined, his face cleanly shaved, lips full but narrow. She studied his features until he bit down into her neck, causing her to turn and shove him onto the bed. He chuckled, his voice deep and fluid.

"Oh baby!" Nino walked away from his invitation to join him, walking into the bathroom to change out of her clothes. Regardless of her feelings, Torrin found this as a conjugal opportunity. He walked in behind her and watched her bend over in her undergarments to turn on the shower faucet. He snuck in and grabbed her from behind.

"Can't you take a hint? I said no!"

"Don't lead me on, then." He said coyly. Nino glared at him, shoving him aside and walking out into the bedroom again. She would have to take a shower later, when Torrin went out for the night. Torrin followed her, his arms crossed over his toned chest. "When will you learn to love me, my little fox?" Nino refused to reply, slipping on a pair of jeans and grey shirt. She considered leaving, but knew they wouldn't let her go alone.

"You shouldn't be so ungrateful, little Nino..." His fingertips brushed across her shoulders as he kissed the nape of her neck again. "Let's celebrate your victory, you and I…it's been so long since I've felt myself inside of you…"

"Shouldn't the twins be here soon?" Nino snapped, walking towards the closet. She referred to the Ragigio twins, the newest addition to the clan. They followed Torrin around like two eager dogs. Their biggest accomplishments included a slue of brutal murders in Esthar. Never caught for the reason they managed to flee to Galbadia. Natural born cowards, ruthless and naïve.

Torrin's patience was wearing thin. "I'm only asking you to love me tonight…"

Nino stood at the foot of the bed with a disgusted look worn on her face. She never loved Torrin, and looking at him now, she was remembered of the single reason why she complied with the relationship. As she dressed into a pair of jeans and layered shirt and jacket, a shiver shot down her spine as his piercing eyes viewed her. "I can't do that Torrin." Her shaky voice came out with her breath.

Torrin's eyebrow lifted, eager to know more. "Why's that, little fox?" Nino swallowed hard, daring not to say it out loud in front of him. He already knew anyway. Torrin's coy expression quickly formed into a scowl. "I'm sorry, my dear…" In an instant, Torrin snapped, grabbing Nino by her arms and throwing her on the bed. Her head slammed into the headboard, making a dull thud against the hard wood. As he climbed on top of her, Nino reached for the stiff book on the end table, slamming it hard into his head and pushing Torrin away. She rolled off the bed, carefully watching her assailant as he stood on the opposite end. Nino needed to get to the door, hoping someone on the other end would save her.

With his eyes a darkened blue, he stood in a tackling stance, predicting her movements. "Don't resist me, Nino…you know it would kill me to hurt that pretty face." Nino choked back a sob, terrified. Feeling the paralysis of panic in her knees, she realized take down anybody that stood against her but Torrin. It was his face. His chiseled jaw line and recognizable features that crippled her urge to fight. Then there were those eyes. The piercing blue that made her shiver each time she looked into them. A flicker of a memory past hit her in a rush as her stomach turned into tight knots.

He moved around the bed in silence, his eyes never leaving her. As he slowly approached her, Nino backed herself into the corner. He shot a hand up; his fingers buried into her hair and held on tight. "Don't make me have to say it again." His teeth were clenched, his voice deep, threatening.

Cowering, Nino shook her head. Strands of hair clung to her cheeks as tears fell, she couldn't fight back. "Please!" She felt her body being thrown onto the bed, before her head could lift itself, Torrin's weight was on her. As they struggled, all Nino could do was cry. He pinned her down and tore away at her clothes, his strength almost inhuman. Nino closed her eyes, knowing if she looked at him now that she would be sick. His rough hands pulled off her pants, caressing her body in a rushed manner.

"Stop…" Her nails dug into his chest as he unbuttoned his jeans with one hand. As she bucked her body away from him, his hand retracted, smacking his own mouth. Tasting blood in his mouth, he snapped. His hand reared back and slapped her across the face, the sound echoing through the room. Nino screamed, a red handprint forming across her pale cheek. "You're mine, little fox." Torrin held her face tightly between his hands and stared into her eyes as he hissed. "You belong to me." His cold words had completely overpowered her.

Torrin stared approvingly at her naked form, a crazed smirk playing on his lips as he favorably dropped his gaze down to her shapely breasts, toned waist and long legs. "Such a delightful sight…" He removed his belt. Still keeping his pants just past his waist, he quickly restrained her wrists and pulled tight on the leather. Feeling a surge of adrenaline, Nino chose to fight back in vain. Torrin slapped her again. This time; blood formed around the split lip he had caused. She flinched away from him when his hand gently moved across her blemished cheek. "I only want to love you, Nino…" There were a hundred and one motives behind his words. His touch was soft as he played with her breasts, kissing them tenderly. "If you're the good girl I know you _could_ be…I'll promise to be gentle."

Torrin Vertega's promises were never kept. As he kissed her deeply, Nino felt nothing but shame. He lifted her hips, positioning her legs around his waist. "You're never gentle." Nino replied tersely when their lips parted. Torrin chuckled, reaching down to his own groin. He brushed the hair from Nino's face and leaned into her ear, whispering. "I'm going to enjoy this, even if you don't."

Nino let out a sharp groan as Torrin pushed into her all too quickly. She closed her eyes, trying hard to imagine herself in another place, another time. Her fists clenched as they pressed against each other. Her nails nearly cut into the skin of her palms, trying to distract her until she caught a glimpse of Seifer Almasy.

She chose to distract herself with Seifer; Seifer's breathtaking blue eyes, his full lips, the way he moved his fingers through his hair, the crooked scar between his eyes. His warm smile flooded her mind—like the one she remembered him having on his defined face when they went to Dollet for the annual Festival. Nino could almost feel his strong arms embracing her, his touch giving her assurance.

"You can't abandon this moment, Nino."

Even though in her mind she saw Seifer talking, she knew it wasn't him. Her eyelids remained tightly closed, not wanting to let go of the memories she had. Torrin pounded deep into her, forcing a cry out from her lips. He knew where her mind was and he refused to let it continue.

"Stay with me in this moment, I want you to feel every inch of me." His clenched fist released the grip it held on the belt, giving Nino's hands back to her. She whimpered abashedly, her hands moving to cover her chest. Fresh tears fell as she turned her head, looking away. She thought again of Seifer and his strut, his smell, his mesmerizing voice. A mental image of him appeared in the back of her mind again, embracing her, assuring her.

She watched as her own self wrapped in a white bed sheet fell into view, falling onto her knees and covering her face. This Nino was sobbing. She watched as Seifer knelt beside her, his hand brushing across her back as she cried harder.

_(It's not real, Nino.)_

_I can't avoid it!_

_(It will be over soon, I promise._)

_He's just going to hurt me again! _

_(You're not with him, you're with me.)_

_No! You don't get it! You're not here! _

_(I'm right here.)_

_Then make it stop, make it stop!_

_(Breathe, it's only a dream.)_

_I can feel him inside me…_

_(Concentrate on me, don't give him the satisfaction.)_

Nino curled her body onto the side of the bed. It was over. Her face was red and wet with tears, her body used and feeling disgusting. She felt as though she had betrayed herself, disgusted at the fact she didn't have the strength to hide. Her hands slowly pulled the bedsheet over, covering her body.

Torrin sat on the side of the bed, satisfied. He turned his head slightly to her, breathing heavily. "Not a single person in this world will ever have you again, not after me little fox. As for _Seifer_…" Torrin pulled his shirt back on. "I guess you can say he left you for me."

When Nino didn't reply, Torrin stood, fastening his jeans and leaning over her. He covered her with the bed sheet and kissed her cheek. "Thanks for the fuck little fox, but I can't stay and cuddle, I gotta get down to the club with the twins."

Torrin left, leaving Nino with a blank expression on her face. As soon as she heard the sound of his car starting up, Nino broke down in harsh sobs. Her hands went to her head, tugging at her hair as she recapped the violent rape.

"I'll be okay, I'll be okay, I'll be okay…" She repeated to herself aloud. Her voice cracked, her effort to save face was for no one but herself.

Hours passed before the door to her bedroom opened, the sound of heels clacked on the hard wood floor until it reached the bed.

"Oh Ninnoka, get up." The woman's voice sounded irritated, tired. When Nino didn't budge from her place on the bed, rough hands grabbed her and sat her upright.

Knelt down in front of her was Seri, her father's wife. Her blonde hair was freshly curled, the smell of hairspray still wafted around her. Middle-aged, Seri did what she could to look as young as possible. "This could have been avoided." Seri shook her head. She moved toward the dresser, retrieving fresh clean clothes. "I've told you time and time again, Nino…Torrin is a respectable member of the family. You should be so lucky he loves you." Nino did not say a word to Seri as she continued, desperately wanting to rip out her throat. Instead she shook her head and stared at the wall, waiting for her to return with new clothes.

"Let it go." Seri placed the clothes in Nino's lap and adjusted her skirt. "There's no reason to dwell on what has happened, especially over something as trivial as love." Her false smile was enough to drive Nino insane. But before she could come up with a response, Seri walked out, closing the door behind Nino. Alone, she dressed, careful with the soreness in her body. She stood, slipping on a pair of house shoes and shuffling toward the window. Sirens wailed in the distance as she gazed at the busy cityscape of Deling City.

She stood in silence for a great while until her young brother walked in quietly. The eleven year old stood beside his older sister, hugging her waist. "I love you, Sis."

Nino often wondered what people would think if they were to ever analyze the relationship she shared with her half-brother. It was a strong companionship, one that held strong through their darkest times. Most siblings fought and bickered, whereas Nino and Lux looked out for each other as best as they could. Her green eyes went from the city to her half-brother, brushing the curly brown hair away from his grey eyes. She smiled sadly, knowing he knew Torrin had hurt her again. Nino watched as he pulled a red envelope out of his back pocket.

"I got our mail today while everyone was gone. There's a letter from…" Lux looked down at the red, desperately wanting to tear it open. "It's from—"

She snatched the mail out of his hand and grabbed his shoulder. "What have I told you about leaving without me?

She referred to the mailbox they had kept secret from the rest of the Mireille family. When you're part of a syndicate killing off political members of the United Council, you don't exactly have a steady address, let alone many people sending you letters.

"I just wanted to help you, _assin'omekta_." Lux was being honest, he only wanted to help his sister.

"Lux, kiba deno chtaman gé kan mo givo'mana deno aka mo ania dalat deno? Do you understand?" Nino's angry tone dropped, realizing that Lux was not following. "If I can't find you then I can't protect you, okay? You know you can never go to town alone. What if you had had one of your attacks?" Big sister scolded, watching as Lux nodded. She brushed her hair from her eyes, wincing as her skin grazed the forming bruise around her eye. "He hurt you pretty bad this time…" Lux's expression fell to pity, wishing he could protect his sister.

"Oh my god…" Nino froze, recognizing the sender.

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Quistis, Zell and Edea waited anxiously in the seating area of Squall's new office. Squall and Cid were both on the phones, in a conference call with separate officials.

Squall was scribbling notes on a sheet of paper as Cid had his back to the group, his tired eyes gazing out at the mountainside. "Ok, I understand. Thank you." Squall was the first to get off the phone. He continued to write on the sheet of paper.

Zell rocked back and forth in the chair, his legs impatiently shaking as he waited for news about his girlfriend. Quistis did what she could to keep Zell from exploding.

"Ok…" Squall approached them as they all stood. "Zell, Selphie wanted me to reassure you that they are both safe. They'll be arriving in the next few hours. "

"So they're safe?" Zell took a deep breath and let it out loudly. "Oh man…that was too intense…"

"Who called the code?" Quistis sunk into the couch, relieved.

"The assassin hit a SeeD Cadet who was last seen speaking with Selphie." Cid informed the group. "She was in class when the toxin caused her to seize up. They saved her in time. Nasty dosage of Malboro venom. After examination, they saw a small entrance wound on the students lower back. The teacher reported it to Selphie and she recalled an unfamiliar female approaching her cautiously."

"Do they have any idea of knowing who did this?" Quistis asked, brushing past Zell. "I don't recall anybody ever having a grudge against Selphie."

"No one yet, but we'll be receiving the footage from any surveillance images in the hallway at the time they suspected the assassination attempt occurred."

"Could it be possible that it was a move planned by the Mireille Syndicate?" Quistis pondered. "I remember Irvine bringing up something about them being under investigation but the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence. This wouldn't surprise me if it were them."

"Now that's a thought." Squall spoke quietly, folding his arms and leaning up against a pillar. "I recall a case we took where that name was dropped when it came to hired assassins. We should make it a priority to find out what's going on. If they went out of their way to travel to Trabia and try to kill one of us, it wouldn't surprise me they would try something in Balamb."

The doors opened and Edea stepped inside the office, exhausted. "It's time for us to go." She looked sadly at Squall and Quistis, who nodded.

Zell looked at the trio, confused. "Huh? Where are you going Matron?"

'_Zell, you're so naïve.' _Squall's attention turned to Cid, watching as he began rifling through his desk.

"Cid and I are returning to the Orphanage… for a little personal vacation. Don't worry, Zell." She kissed his cheek. "We'll be back before you know it." She hugged Quistis deeply, and began to approach Squall.

"Squall, I believe I left my scarf on the terrace, won't you follow me?" Squall nodded and took Edea's arm in his. Once they were outside, Edea pulled him closer. "I know you're angry with me, Squall." She smiled. "I remember that face. It's the same face you gave me when Ellone was taken from you." Squall remained silent, looking out to the open valley. "It's too much to take in, yes. But you have an opportunity to make something of SeeD. Its original purpose is at rest, now it's your job to shape it into something greater than my husband and I could ever imagine." Edea inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of Balamb. Its crisp ocean breeze, its relaxing mountains, its sweet flower scents dancing with the wind. She closed her eyes, smiling as she felt the breeze hit her face. "With any garden, it must be tended to every day. Give it lots of care, don't ever let it overgrow."

"I understand."

Edea walked ahead of Squall, reaching for a book-shaped object that lay wrapped in her scarf. She turned to him as she unveiled it. "This was sent to me as a 'parting gift' a week ago." A red tattered leather bound book was presented in her fragile hands. Edea gently placed it in Squall's hands.

_I know this…_

Squall separated the pages with his thumbs, glancing down at the handwriting.

"_Today is my birthday. Raijin doesn't understand why I'm so down, maybe it's because he has no idea it's my birthday. Fujin knows though. _

_I can't seem to remember your face, Matron. The idea I could ever forget you baffles even me. You were the closest I had to a mother. When I try to picture you in my mind, I see nothing but black. Your face is always blurred, appearances ever changing. _

_They say that when you junction GF long enough, it starts to bury a little nest deep within your mind, and makes you forget. Before you realize it, you've lost five years, ten years, a lifetime of memories…_

Squall closed the journal, his eyes wide as he looked to Matron. "Matron, this–"

Edea smiled and nodded carefully. "It can't help him now, but it might help you. I took the news of Seifer hard. He was marked with chaos since the death of his parents—"

"Like he wasn't already…" Squall muttered.

"He watched his mother being executed under Adel's orders. When soldiers brought him to me, there was barely a soul left in that child's eyes. After reading this journal, I understood so much about him. I hope that one day one day, you'll learn to forgive your worst enemies."

_Seifer's execution. How could I forget?_ It was scheduled for next week. General Caraway had sent him the information.

"Any issues I had with Seifer will die with him, Matron." He blinked for a moment. "He tried to kill Rinoa's father."

Edea kissed his cheek. "We are set to do incredible things, both good and evil." Edea walked away from him, heading back inside. She stopped and turned. "You can't put Seifer behind you, but you can't forget him either. If you read that journal, you'll soon learn why he chose the path he walked."

Squall returned to the terrace, sitting on the marble ledge and opening the journal.

The spine made a crackling noise as it opened, the smell of worn pages fluttering into Squall's nose. He felt guilty for being in possession of it, but it was no good to Seifer, at least not now. Chicken-scratch handwriting mixed in with more professional penmanship showed Squall that Seifer's moods differed on each page.

Picking a random page, he read aloud to himself. In his mind, he heard Seifer narrating the pages, his experiences.

"?" – Galbadia - Evening

"_I've heard what happens; I've felt the changes setting in. Any thoughts and memories of being who I once was have left me. I'm cold. Now, all I think of is her. _

"_Oh, my loyal knight, Seifer. The sorceress is alive... The sorceress demands…"_

_I opened my eyes to see her. Ultimecia. Rinoa disappeared in a blanket of night as this new face transformed into something more solid, more real. It was the first time I had caught a glimpse of her physical form, and she was more horrifyingly powerful than I could ever imagine. I was barely conscious; my body ached from the battle. The presence around me made my body cold, exposed. I was terrified to look into her eyes, but I was compelled. They'll never leave my mind._

_I knew they were out there, outside the white hue that encompassed me and my Sorceress. Squall was probably waiting for his right moment to strike. Nothing I could do could get me to look away. She had trapped me within those burning yellow eyes. _

_I could hear my name being called faintly by that stupid girl. _

_Before I could hear Nino say anything else, a high pitched ring brought my attention to the monster above me. _

"_Find the legendary Lunatic Pandora, said to be hidden beneath the ocean." _

_I saw visions of a huge structure lying dormant in a deep sea. _

_I saw visions of my taking control of the entire Galbadian army. _

_I saw the coming of the next Lunar Cry. _

_Time Compression. I know of it now. It is the concept of condensing all of time and space into a single moment. _

_My god._

_The amount of power Ultimecia would need to require casting such a spell… _

_Doing so would cast her at the center of this singularity. By compressing the entire universe in this manner, if she were to place herself at the center of it… Ultimecia would be able to assimilate all of Creation into herself, and then use her power to recreate everything in her own image. _

_I then saw the lives of many, taken in a single blow. _

_I then saw the millions dead, a cold and dead planet. _

_Ultimecia was going to destroy everyone. _

_Ultimecia was going to destroy everyone and I can't stop it. _

_She brought my attention back when she spoke. "…Only then shall the sorceress provide you with dreams again…"_

_I heard a second voice, my own. _

_This isn't what I wanted. I wanted to have somebody to protect, to rescue. I wanted my romantic dream, and she's given me a nightmare I cannot wake from. I still can't get their faces from my mind. So many lives will be lost, and at what cost? _

_I could've said no. I could've sacrificed myself for the greater good, but I didn't. I had to lie; I had to find a way to escape this horror. But I realized something. _

_Maybe… just maybe… she can give me this romantic dream, even if a few people die. _

"_As you wish, Ultimecia."_

_I've come too far; it's too late for me to turn back now._

"Hey!"

Squall looked up from the book, halfway through it already. Quistis stood in front of him, the wind blowing her strawberry blonde hair in the wind.

Squall removed his sunglasses, squinting. "Found anything about the situation?"

Quistis smiled. "They've confirmed the female in the images is a Mireille. We can't confirm it 100% but genetic matches lead to Keim Mireille." She sat across from Squall. "Records show that Keim has a daughter that matches the descriptions. Her name is Nino Mireille." Squall snorted. "The very same in his journal, I bet." He flipped a page, reading aloud. "_It's taken a lot of energy keeping my sanity just to log a piece into these tired pages. If only Nino could help me draw my lucidity back. Then I'll be free from the enslavement I put myself in._"

When he looked up, Zell was standing behind Quistis with a mouthful of food. "That's Seifer's journal." Zell said with a finger pointing towards the red leather book, the clarity of his words were muffled by the bread in his mouth.

Quistis looked over her glasses. "We all saw him writing in it at least one point in our lives…anything worth reading?" She took the journal as Squall handed it to her.

Flipping the pages she found something that piqued her interest. "_Dincht's obsession of hot dogs seems justifiable now that I've experienced a similar high…just as bad as…"_ She stopped reading abruptly.

Zell read over her shoulder. _"…Instructor Trepe's fascination with Squall Leonhart._"

Quistis closed the book. "Where did you find this?"

"Matron gave it to me to read. Most of the recent pages seem to be written in Centran. I'll need to translate them soon. Interesting note, he mentions a lot about a certain Nino, among other things."

Zell flipped through the pages. "I see mentions of Keim and Urzo in here. A lot actually." He snapped the book shut. "What's our next step, Headmaster?"

"Don't call me that." Squall stood, stretching.

"What about Seifer? Couldn't we speak with him?" Zell asked.

"What about him?" Squall asked in apathy.

"I feel obligated to go to his execution." Quistis sighed. "I can't believe it's finally here."

"You two seriously believe all that media hype?" Zell raised an eyebrow. "Do you guys know where they _really_ take executed war criminals? They take them to the underground levels of Galbadia's Department of Control and Testing Center. _That's_ where they take the dead! Remember when they claimed that they executed those two SeeD cadets for war crimes? They filmed them being killed by lethal injection when all they did was knock them out and stick them in that underground level!" Zell exhaled when Quistis and Squall didn't react the way he wanted. "Two years after they were allegedly 'killed,' the younger of the two had escaped. He showed up in Deling City mumbling and chewing his fingers off…scary shit." Zell scratched the back of his head. "He started raving about staying away from the DoC and then eventually threw himself into traffic. I wonder if that's what's going to happen to Seifer..."

"Zell, the underground levels don't exist as some kind of twisted torture center! It's just the thing a conspiracy theorist would want you to believe!" Squall groaned, looking down at the journal. Before anyone could respond to Squall's statement, Ryzia appeared from the door next to the terrace. She bowed respectively to the party and handed a file for Squall. "Headma…well, I guess _you're_ the Headmaster now, Mr. Leonhart…" She smiled sheepishly.

"What is it, Ryzia?" Quistis asked, eyeing the folder.

"Former-Headmaster Cid asked me to find these files for you. I think it has to do with the 100-2 Code?" Squall took the folder, immediately reviewing its contents inside. He glanced up at his new secretary, who stood waiting. "What's the situation with Officer Tilmitt and Ms. Heartilly?"

"They will be arriving shortly. I received a message for you that they were flying over Balamb."

"I should go wait for them at the landing platform." Zell followed Ryzia back inside.

Squall looked up at Quistis, acknowledging her curiosity over the folder.

Quistis threw a hand at the papers in Squall's lap. "I'm not going to attack you Squall, what does the file say?" He laid it out on the glass table between them.

"Last name 'Almasy', first name 'Seifer', middle name 'Adan'…Social Probation for failure to surrender Gunblade in Weapons Free Zone…"

"Is there anything that would help us with this situation?" Quistis took a few pages from the file. "Doesn't look like it. It's just his folder from when he was a student at Garden." Squall leaned back. "Why would they bring Seifer up now? Why would they think that us reading all this would help in any way?" His eyes landed on the journal. "The last thing I want to read is how much Seifer cared for some old fling!"

"Maybe Seifer's the key to finding Nino Mireille…" Quistis muttered, rubbing the bottom of her shoe into the marble floor.

Squall's head began to throb behind his eyes. "Look, enough about Seifer. He's going to be useless to us in a week anyway. Let's just analyze what we have and go from there."

Author Notes:

_Any reviews given will be greatly appreciated. I very much would like to improve on any problem areas before I start posting more of this story. Again, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!_


	4. Last Request

**Disclaimer:** _As much as I think it'd be awesome, I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, it's characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction.  
_This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consensual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

**Three: Last Request  
**

He sat in the dark corner of his cell, staring at the meal they brought to him. His eyes looked to the gray glop that stiffly sat on the tray, glistening in the light. Beside it was an apple. From Seifer's distance from the tray, he could tell the apple sitting beside the grey matter was already going bad. Disgusted, he tossed his hand toward it.

_Filthy, nasty shit..._

_Tastes like chemicals..._

_It's not even real meat… _

_You always hear about that last meal. That last meal that reminds you of the beautiful things in life, the things you took for granted…_

_I suppose there's always the afterlife. _

Seifer meticulously cleaned under his nails, keeping an eye on the door as he heard the sound of boots stomping in a marching form across his cell. Higgins, the guard in charge of Seifer's floor, was coming for him. "Prisoner 527! Almasy!" A prison guard bellowed as he entered Seifer's cell. Higgins was a tall burly man, with a salt-and-pepper buzz cut and a double chin. He looked more like a death row convict than a military man, aged tattoo's spread down his neck and out to his arms. His body was massive. His arms were like huge ham hocks and uniform barely fit across him, the buttons seeming to desperately want to give way. "The visitor you requested, she's here-get up!"

"Hm." Seifer replied quietly. "I'm surprised." Even if it wasn't the once proud lively voice, it still contained the same even and commanding tone, a slight Estharian accent making it sound regal and handsome. "Where is the booze I requested? If I'm going to be dead by tomorrow, I would rather enjoy a nice drink than drink the piss your 'fine establishment' provides."

Higgins let out a wheezing laugh. "Why do that when it's much more fun to watch you suffer? For the shit you pulled with Caraway, I'd be damned if I let you have anything remotely rewarding." The guard kicked the plate of food into the corner, spoiling it. The grey mush hardly moved, but the apple rolled off of the tray and onto the floor. Seifer shook his head, a light chuckle escaping his dry lips. "Why fulfill my request for a visitor if it will never matter?" The guard's response was to kick the weak figure in the gut. He stormed off, laughing "Come tomorrow, it won't matter. I really can't wait to see you squirm when the firing squad takes aim." Seifer groaned, coughing and holding his stomach tight. "You'd love that, wouldn't you, Higgy-Piggy?" Seifer couldn't resist a pissing contest with his favorite guard. The moment he got his sentence out, he felt his arms being propelled to the wall and felt cuffs restraining him. Opening his eyes, he saw Higgins standing in front of him; the two other guards he brought in with him were chaining him to the wall. As they opened the door and stepped out, his arms dropped to the floor, the rattling chains making his arms heavy.

"Seifer…" He heard Nino's Centran accent whisper his name as she knelt down to the cold concrete floor. The sudden tone to her voice made his stomach curl. He felt anger and resentment towards the people that put him in there, he felt agitation towards the woman who dare said his name. "Seifer…it's me, say something."

"What do you want me to say?" Seifer looked her on with cold azure eyes. His eyelids slowly fluttered as he focused on the woman he hadn't seen in four years.

Nino found herself throwing her arms around his neck. His skin felt cold, rough. His hair was shaggy and oily, and tickled her skin. It had been years since she touched Seifer, let alone be in a room with him. It felt right to Nino, her restiveness slowly died away as she sighed deeply, squeezing her hands across him. Seifer couldn't react. He sat there, his arms still at his side, the young woman latched to him like a parasite. This wasn't a visit he wanted to enjoy. He couldn't let himself feel anything for her. It was too late for any of that for him.

Loud bangs on the steel door behind them forced a jump out of Nino. "Hey! Keep yer distance from the prisoner!"

Nino pulled away, wiping tears away and fixing her carefully done makeup. She examined him, closely, watching as he kept his eyes on her, his shoulders back, arms to his side. Half naked with just a pair of scrubs on, he looked sickly, starved, like an abused animal. The scar that once left its rosy mark between his eyes was faded, barely visible. His prevalent cheekbones were even more so striking. Having begun sinking in, it gave his face a gaunt, almost hollow appearance. His sunny blonde hair was now a dull light brown, shaggy and began to curl around the frame of his face. "Seifer…can you please talk to me?" She reached out to touch him, but stopped when he jerked his head back.

Seifer's blue eyes scanned every detail of Nino's form. Her long brown hair was tousled, falling past her ribcage in thick loose curls. Her skin had lost its glowing radiance. He looked into her eyes as they glistened in what sunlight that crept inside the cell. Seifer could have stared forever into her green eyes and never felt any pain. But they were no longer as bright and alluring as they once were.

The black long sleeve shirt she wore was form fitting, along with the distressed jeans. He memorized every detail, all the way down to the freckle that rested on her cleavage, the grey nail polish, silver bracelets and the way she cocked her eyebrow up as she spoke to him. A twinge of a smile appeared in the corner of his lips, until he remembered why she was standing in his cell.

"They asked me to have somebody who could ensure that my belongings are retrieved and sent to Edea Kramer." His voice was ragged and no louder than a murmur. "Can you handle that?" His request was as dry as his tone. Nino appeared confused with what he was asking.

"…You had me travel across the country for you to have me do bitch work? Is that really why I'm here?" Nino crossed her arms, setting her bag down on the bed and looking out the window. She felt anger, sadness…but more confusion than anything else. She couldn't understand why Seifer was acting this way toward her. "Did you hear about the riots in Deling? Caraway has requested for anyone who protests the execution is to be locked away." She scoffed. "There are people out there who know you did not do this, and yet he is glorifying the fact that you're going to die tomorrow."

"This is Caraway's way of punishing all of us." Seifer stood, rubbing the edges of his cuffs. "It's not really your concern anymore. So will you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Will you make sure my stuff is safe?" He spoke to Nino like she was a child again. "The guy across the hall was killed last Spring, they sold his shit and pocketed the cash. I don't want that to happen."

"I haven't seen you in four years…" Nino's lip quivered, she held her arms tight to her chest. "You're asking me—four years Seifer!"

"Nino," Seifer put a hand up to her. "Don't change the-"

"You're going to die tomorrow!" She sobbed. "Don't you understand? You will be dead tomorrow! I won't…I don't want this our last time seeing each other! It isn't fair!" Her hands went to her face as she wept, unable to control it.

"Stop this—stop crying." Seifer grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her towards him, rubbing the tears from her cheeks away with his thumbs. "This isn't you." He said in disbelief. "What happened to you?"

Nino looked down and frowned. "This just isn't _right_." She whispered, reaching for his hand and holding it in her own. Seifer moved his hands away from hers and placed them on her shoulders. They gazed at each other in silence for the longest time until they embraced, their lips close enough to feel the warmth from each others. Seifer wrapped his long arms around Nino's small frame. His hands slowly moved across her back, gripping tightly to the fabric. As he buried his face onto her neck, breathing in her sweet scent. His fingers moved upward, touching her neck and tangling into her hair. As their lips grew closer, Nino saw an image flash in her mind of Torrin dragging her by the neck to the bed. "Don't!" Nino cowered, trying to push the image out of her mind.

Seifer shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. "Any reason why?"

"It's complicated." She shuddered; watching as Seifer's breathing became deep. His eyes were fixated on her chest, something had caught his attention.

His hand brushed her hair away from her shoulder and pulled the fabric away from her collarbone. He took his fingers and ran them delicately over the surface of the skin, noting the purple and blue hues that formed a hand shaped bruise. "Who gave this to you?" He finally noticed the fading mark on her face, the split lip…

Nino hesitated. "It's not—it's not really your concern anymore."

Seifer pointed at her arm. "Is that so…" Nino looked down; her sleeve had bunched up, revealing the healing ligature marks around her wrist. She yanked the sleeve down, her head low.

"I understand if you moved on but…" Seifer paused. "But I know you're not the type of woman to just let some halfwit hurt you like that."

"Seifer, what relationship I have with Torrin is _nothing_ like you think…"

Seifer managed to pace, the chains binding him keeping it a short motion. "And you're not that type of woman who stays with someone like that. You know better, Nino!"

"Why is it such a big deal to you?" Nino's green eyes grew dark. "Come tomorrow, it's not going to matter so why _should_ you care what happens to me?"

"Why should I—?" He stopped for a moment, his breathing became shallow.

Nino stepped closer. "The Seifer I knew..." She pushed the prisoner with force, shoving him into the wall. "He wouldn't have just given up like this! You act fearless about it, like nothing is scaring you about the reality of it all but you're being a coward!"

"I've faced plenty!" Seifer pointed to his chest. "You're not in here, you're out there! I can't protect you any longer and _that_ is what scares me! It's not that I'm being executed on live television, it's that I'm leaving _you_ behind!"

Nino sneered, waving her hand in his face. "I'm sure you did…"

"Don't you understand?" Seifer snatched her wrist, holding her in place. "I'm in here because of the lives I stole, the deals I made. Every time I shed blood—I did it for _you_."

There was silence as they stood for a great while. They refused to look at each other, both knowing they were acting like children. It was not the time or place to fight, and it was too late to take it back. The sound of the door opening jolted them back to looking at each other again. "Time's up!" Higgins' shadow covered the door. His silhouette made him look much larger than he was.

Nino grabbed her bag, turning to the door. "So that's it then? You're just going to give up and die?" Nino let out a short laugh. "What a waste of my time..."

"That's really the only reason why I had you come here." Seifer's tone dripped acid as he chuckled. "I wanted to tell you how I felt. Do you think I needed you here? I don't need you, Nino. You coming here made it very clear I was right about you." He let out a scoff. "You're still just a kid. Good luck with your life Nino. I hope playing terrorist with daddy and _what's-his-face _is very fulfilling for ya." His arms were crossed low on his chest as he watched Nino shake her head and walk out. He waited patiently until the guards came in to remove the shackles and lock his cell up for the night. The lean blonde stood in silence in the center of his cell for a long time, his fists clenched to the point of his nails cutting into his palm.

Above his head, the intercom clicked on, and Seifer could hear Higgins' wheezy voice laughing into the microphone. "You oughta hear what they're sayin' about you, princess! I figured I'd let ya have a little taste of what's to come tomorrow." He laughed uproariously. "Sleep tight, nighty-night!" The next sound of the intercom was of a microphone rattling and being pushed against what sounded like a television.

"_Our top story tonight is the former Balamb Garden SeeD Cadet and Sorceress Knight Seifer Almasy. The twenty-five year old war criminal was charged with four counts of attempted murder and a staggering three counts of homicide in the first degree is being executed by a firing squad tomorrow! Those three who survived his wicked massacre were Dr. Greig Burlong, physician, Ambassador Markus Kinjay, retired Senator of the Holy Dollet Empire, Dr. Muri Aulda, author of the book "The Truth Behind Junctioning" and Semi-Retired General Fury Caraway, head of the Galbadian Militia. Those three who are now dead include Dr. Raib Cradd and his assistant Yula Picklen, and Grieg Burlong." _

Seifer paced around his room, staring up at the intercom bolted to the ceiling. He thought about ripping it out, but there was no way without a tool to pry it out of its steel bolts. He bent down, picking up the mealy apple that was served with his dinner and took a large bite. The sound of thunder rolled in the distance. Seifer swallowed hard, listening to the voice above him.

"_Oh, absolutely! I'm very happy this day has finally come. Seifer was once a proud student. He had so much potential. But that promising boy was only swayed from the very one who took him in when his father gave him away out of safety. Sorceress Edea allowed him these "ideas" of living in some fantasy where he had the possessions of a very powerful army, no, powerful nation, and then utilizing the high-tech technology he had acquired from Esthar…we're very lucky to all be alive!"_

"You're living that lie just like you're wearing that cheap red lipstick, doctor!" Seifer took another big bite from his tasteless, bruised apple.

"_As many are probably aware, Seifer Almasy applied for reconsideration to his sentence and it was denied. It's the shortest response time anyone's ever heard for the request. Why was it processed and denied so quick? Most appeals take months at a time!_"

"_I don't think it was so much as our work as it was the work of the Galbadian Nation working quick and thoroughly. Fate, if you must call it something._"

"_What preparations are you taking for the execution tomorrow?_"

"_Well, after this interview, I will be leaving for the Detention of Control along with my surviving colleagues Dr. Greig Burlong and General Caraway along with his daughter. For private reasons, Ambassador Kinjay won't be joining us. We expect it to be a very powerful moment, and hopefully it will bring us…closure. _"

"_Rinoa Heartilly's rumored new relationship with Zone Pegare seems to be causing…"_

His breathing became shallow and heavy, louder each cycle until he Seifer lifted the apple and hurled it at the intercom. To much disappointment, the apple made no change in volume. The mess on the ceiling splashed down onto the floor and left a sticky odor in the air. Seifer closed his eyes, focusing on the elements as he drowned the intercom out, leaving only the sound of the rain pouring against the side of the outer prison wall. Seifer looked outside, thundering storm clouds rolling deep towards the prison, seemingly coming for Seifer.

Before Seifer realized, tears welled in his eyes as he looked onward.  
The storm rolled in heavy, the thunder rattled the concrete walls that confined Seifer. His body was no longer in control of itself, he found himself falling to his knees, his hands coming to a clasp as the strong gusts of wind brought in the rain from the barred window. The tiny drops of rain stung his body, sending goose bumps down his back as his lips betrayed him.

"Hyne save us, everyone. Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns? For the sins of our hand, sins of our tongue, the sins of our creator, the sins of our young…"

A flash of a memory shot in Seifer's mind.

"_MA!" A small blonde child wailed as the Estharian Soldier jerked his arm toward the street. "MA!" _Another flash and he could see Her lips curled into a heinous smile, her masculine form shadowing them from the sun. Seifer quietly sang the prayer again, seeing a soldier in the back of his mind. He could recall the sun was setting and it made the brick streets burn orange. The Soldier's uniform glowed iridescent, blue, white, purple. He recalled a woman in a green skirt, brown top. Her hair was cut short, blonde, her frame was toned. She was reaching toward the small boy.

Seifer was curious, he had never remembered recalling anything after that. He concentrated, struggling to manifest the memory in his mind.

The woman sobbed, capturing the boy's attention. Her teal blue eyes glowed as she smiled warmly to the sobbing child. _"Your ma loves you very mu—"_

Seifer could see that the soldier was watching the small boy as he silenced the soothing mother with the butt of his gun. She spat blood in his face and he pressed the gun to her temple. Her head low, they bound her hands together behind her back.

As the child screamed louder in his mind, it echoed in the room, as if it was coming from the intercom instead. Seifer covered his ears and closed his eyes tight when the memory started to fade. He couldn't lose it now.

He could remember seeing Her lips curling into a heinous smile, her masculine form shadowing them from the sun. Her long fingers wrapped around the infants arm, dragging her forward. _"THE CHILDREN MUST WATCH."_ She commanded.

"_Hyne save us everyone. Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns?_" He saw the woman lift her head, eyes meeting the child's.

Seifer's jaw clenched as he watched the Soldiers take their aim. The one who held the child's arm cackled, her horrifying grin stretching from ear to ear as they amused her. He watched as the mother opened her arms, welcoming the death. "_For the sins of our hand, the sins of our tongue, the sins of our creator, the sins of our young…"_

As the gunshots rang Seifer's memory was replaced with visions of Ultimecia, creeping into the back of his mind, ever present, never leaving. Lightning left black silhouettes behind him, creeping over him, haunting him as his breath quickened. His eyes closed as his hands stiffened.

"I've lied, and I've cheated. I've been selfish, I've been _cruel_. I've shed another man's blood; I've danced with demons in the dark…" Her laugh echoed in his mind as he called upon Hyne. The sound of wings flapping behind him didn't help with the shadows of feathers falling. The darkness was spreading the room, and it was almost frightening enough to say it was real. Seifer spoke louder. "I've been filled with hate and anger; I've taken what was not mine." His voice further drowned out the noise of the intercom, the only sounds that flowed into his ears was the rolling crash of thunder.

"Forgive me."


	5. Falling or Flying

**Disclaimer:** _As much as I think it'd be awesome, I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, it's characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction.  
_This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consensual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

**Four: Falling or Flying**

_So walls are a stark white, with simple décor. Bookshelves are packed with your typical psychiatric tomes and diplomas. _

_That smarmy fuck Kozeransk sat in front of me during the interview, writing on his smarmy clipboard occasionally while asking me smarmy questions. I can only imagine what that motherfucker said about me… something like "Seifer is a young mess of a man. He is charismatic, deranged and forever trying to provoke."_

_He wouldn't stop looking at me. It pissed me off. It was bad enough with the drugs earlier. Oh my god, I couldn't control who I was. This new place, there are no windows, everything looks the same—I'm surprised I haven't lost it completely yet. _

_He told me that I was selected to undergo a series of experimental treatments. Without my consent they already started injecting me with some kind of drug. I'm always under when they do, but the side effects keep me up at night. I haven't eaten in days. My stomach can't handle what they put in the food. Tastes like chemicals, I swear. Anything I put in my gut it comes back up. But doctor fuck-wit said that because of my physical and mental health, I was the perfect candidate for this treatment and that's why I was sent here. That twat speaks as if his mouth were swollen. Every time he pronounces his S', a squish noise comes up from his throat. Fucking sick smarmy little fuck. _

_I didn't say anything for the most part. I just looked into the wood of his antique desk. I wanted to move but they had restrained, my feet the same. _

_He was trying to uncover some deep dark reason why I tried to kill Caraway. I could've tried to tell him that I never killed any of those people. Cradd and his slut mistress weren't killed by me. Neither was Burlong. Would he listen? Of course not. Just like the Galbadian Justice system, they're never going to listen to a word I have to say. _

_He tried to convince me that I had a psychotic breakdown. Sure doc, let's play that game. I've heard it before. I snapped for some reason and for no reason at all, I decided to go on a killing spree, knocking off particular individuals who I imagined did harm unto me. There's a difference between actually killing somebody, and someone going out on their own to kill them for you. So I'm guilty for that, let's all single out the psycho with a gunblade because he's got history. _

_As he continued to ramble, the little turned up __Nino__'s name. _

_I was drugged but I'm sure I didn't say anything. I just hope I didn't mention much about her. I made a comment about either killing her or fucking her or something and this 'doctor' responded with the even keel of a trained psychiatrist saying that was the first time I had spoke to him since we met or some lame shit. Big fucking deal. _

_I'm still numb from the sedatives. 'There's a first time for everything,' I told him. _

_I wondered how it must've been so lonely at home for him to always be paying attention to a bunch of psychos. Funny how his back closet was stuffed with a bed and tv. Probably heaps and stacks of porn. I wonder what kind of porn Dr. Kozeransk keeps in his closet…_

'_What's the matter doc? Your wife not respecting you enough?' I love causing problems with pee-stains like him. I felt like gnawing his face off when he asked me who __Nino__ was to me. _

_Who is __Nino__ to me? Who is __Nino__ to __me__?_

_The relaxant this doctor put me on makes me twitch like clockwork. It's an effort holding myself together. I sat there today and filtered through the mental images of this '__Nino__' this twit speaks of. _

_I think that's what's keeping my sanity. _

_Images of her in so many forms go through my mind, almost like a tape being played in fast forward and paused on occasion. A glimpse of a smile, the color of her eyes, the curve of her back as she rode my cock. The way her naked body looked with freshly-fucked hair to match her freshly-fucked naked body. I can't help but smile thinking of it. Probably the only thing that makes me genuinely 'smile' anymore. __She's my dirty little angel. __She was always so good to me…so fucking sexy. _

_This doctor insisted I told him who she was. Was he interrogating me, or is he just that itching to find out I wonder._

_I bet what I said has him jerking it right now. _

_I still can't believe I told him. 'My favorite thing to do with her would be when I would grab her hair while she sucked me off. I usually loved that, I just do.' I still can't see how I managed to keep a straight face. Maybe __you__ can tell me why I love it so much, doctor. I think he enjoyed the part when I talked about her sweet, sweet 'apricot of the Promised land,' how licking the juices running down her thigh would be so good, it'd make you believe Hyne existed. HA! _

_It could have been the drugs then, but I swear I watched him lick his lips as he asked again. He was writing everything I said down on his smarmy notepad. _

_This doctor is just like any other greedy little piss I've ever encountered. He loves the job, but hates the patients. He hates to do therapy sessions, but he loves the treatments. He reminds me of someone who irons their underwear, but once they've been worn for a day or so, you end up jacking off all over— _

"_ATTENTION! WE WILL ARRIVE AT THE DETENTION OF CONTROL SHORTLY! PLEASE BE READY TO DEPART!"_

Squall put down the journal, standing up in the private cabin in the train and walking towards the mirror bolted to the door. He straightened his uniform, trying to make it as flat as possible. Squall always hated how his SeeD uniform looked on him. It made him too bulky, too intense.

_Seifer's going to think I'm insulting him, me wearing this… _

They had been on the train for three days. Quistis kept to herself, always in the SeeD cabin in the next train car. Squall didn't think anything of it, but it was strange that she would choose to isolate herself when normally she was always close by.

He watched as Zell stepped out of the bathroom, fastening the chain that linked to the lapels of his uniform. "So…are you ready for this?" Zell exhaled. His brow was wrinkled, his eyebrows raised in a worry look. Squall shrugged and walked to the closet. "Do we have a choice?" He pulled out his luggage and put Seifer's journal inside the front pocket. "Find anything about Mireille yet?" Zell looked in the mirror again, styling his hair. "Is Selphie doing any better?"

"I think the shock is settling in with her. She's not really into going out much these days…hopefully we can change that." The blonde licked his lips nervously, leaning on his left foot as he watched Squall. "So uh…did the journal tell you anything new?" Zell shifted to his other foot.

"No mention of Seifer actually killing anybody really. Most of the names in his entries are blacked out. It almost sounds like he just organized the murders, not actually take part in the actions. Apparently, Seifer was part of some experimental therapy at the Department of Control. Amazing what the media doesn't tell you… poor bastard doesn't even realize that in three hours-you know, it won't even matter. The rest of the journal is garbage. I think if there's anything in that can help us, it's in the pages written in Centran." Zell jumped when Squall zipped the bag back up. He watched Squall turn and stare right at him. He looked down at the blonde's shaking hands."

"I should go make sure Quistis is ready." Squall continued to watch Zell as he grew more and more tense.

_Why the hell is he acting so weird?_

"Zell, what's going on?"

Zell kept his mouth closed; he relaxed his position and sighed. He was never good at keeping secrets. His eyes darted down from the floor and back at Squall. It took Squall a moment to realize why. Quistis had asked for Squall's approval for a conference with Rupert Menelaus, the new leader of the Galbadian Republic. Squall refused, knowing she was trying to stop Seifer's execution.

"Damn it, Zell!" Squall darted to the door, pushing Zell's attempted defense out of the way and heading for Quistis' cabin. Zell stumbled out the door, tailing the Headmaster. "Squall, please! Just…listen to Quistis' explanation before you freak out!" He spoke quickly, trying to get through to Squall. "Go back to your cabin, Zell. That is an order!" Squall opened Quistis' cabin door, slamming it right in Zell's face and locking it behind him.

"Thank you, Sir. On behalf of Balamb Garden's administration, you have our humble gratitude." Quistis stared dead on at Squall as she spoke. She hung up the phone slowly and stood. She inhaled sharply. "President Menelaus is going to stop the execution."

Squall stood there dumbfounded. "You went over my head."

She bowed her head low in respect to Squall. "I know."

"Why?" Squall took a few steps towards her, his hand jutted at the phone. Quistis was silent; she looked to the floor for answers. "It was Matron's final wish. She asked that if you didn't show any inclination to stop Seifer's execution from being carried out, that I would go ahead and do so." She looked into Squall's grey eyes. "I authorized the request for release in your name. Under the guise that Seifer has knowledge that is viable to us."

Squall rubbed his forehead, feeling a migraine coming on. He couldn't think straight. The rocking of the train was making him dizzy, and it didn't help with his vertigo.

"Above all else, he's family Squall!" Zell called from the other side of the door.

"This doesn't change anything!" Squall yelled back at the door. "All this does is leave Seifer's life at the mercy of the Unified Council. You really think they'll look highly upon him?" Squall met Quistis' gaze with a cocked eyebrow. "Did you suddenly forget about that?"

The Unified Council had decided that after too many were put to death under the late Vinzer Deling's reign, a vote would need to be called to allow or deny an execution to take place. So far, every execution passed under them has been voted upon unanimously.

"We'll know when we get there. President Menelaus is pulling members in for the conference as we speak." Quistis began to walk towards the door. She nearly tripped when Squall's hand clamped onto her forearm. He opened the door instead and pulled Zell inside. Quistis and Zell stood next to each other resembling children being scolded.

Squall paced for a moment, his head in his hand. "Both of you are relieved of your duties for the remaining duration of our trip." Quistis shushed Zell before he had a chance to protest Squall's decision.

"You two will not eat, breathe, talk or make ANY decisions without my permission." He looked to Quistis, her eyes gave away she didn't regret her actions. "I'm docking both of your ranks."  
"Squall—"

"I have nothing more to say." His tone was dark, demanding. He forcefully opened the door again, stepping out as he straightened his coat one last time. "Dismissed."

* * *

Wearing a white t-shirt and equally white elastic-band pants, Seifer sat on the edge of his bed, his arm hanging over his legs and underneath his window. He watched as the rain hit the bars on the window and fall on his inner forearm, making tiny drops trickle down his skin. Watching in silence, he watched the droplets splatter and split into tinier drops and as the process repeated itself, he felt a shred of comfort. A faint smile crept on his face as he felt the tiny cold wet hit his skin. His eyes closed, and he focused on the feeling of the water on his skin, the feeling of the draft that blew through the bars, the weight of his body felt heavy, but he felt lighter than air. When he opened his eyes, all he could see was a beach, a memory.

He watched as Nino ran past him in a white dress, barefoot. She carried a book with her, its edges marred and torn. Turning a page she read aloud, _"__Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess. We seek it thus, and take it to the sky!" _She lifted her hands up, trying to reach as high as she could while spinning. She stepped into the shore, the tide rolling in and splashing her legs.

Seifer remembered the memory well. They were on the shores near Dollet's capital, rehearsing for Nino's audition for Loveless, a local favorite stage play.

Seifer watched as his past self ran toward Nino, trying to catch her. She giggled as she spun again, dodging him while running her hand in the cold water. She flung her wet hands at him, making a face. Her long hair flowed around her, tiny flowers within it. _"__Ripples form on the water's surface…" _She smiled and reached out for his hands. Losing the grip, Nino dropped the book just in time for Seifer to catch it. He stood close to the brunette, her smile gently fading in and out as she took the book. Seifer leaned in, trying to kiss her before she took off running again. _"The wandering soul knows no rest!" _

Seifer remembered standing there, letting the tide soak his feet, watching as Nino played on the shore. It was a quieter time in his life, and he'd give anything to return to that moment.

_I want to be forgiven. I want to be forgiven, more than anything. _

Before Seifer realized it, he felt a force pull him from behind. Back in the prison, the guards had him in a tight hold, quickly restraining his wrists to the chain around his back. The comfort that he had felt was stolen, and he was alone again.

Dr. Kozeransk strolled inside with three other associates. They looked Seifer over, nodding and muttering amongst each other. Higgins and a nurse walked in immediately after the doctors, and applied a tight tourniquet around Seifer's upper arm.

"Make a fist." The nurse commanded.

"What injection is this one?" Seifer knew them all by heart. "Methohexital? Sodium thiopental? Quetiapine? Are you just gonna inject me with the cocktail and let me go easy?" The nurse ignored Seifer as he listed more drugs off the top of his head. She began to palpate his arm, distending his veins. She promptly disinfected the area and pulled out a syringe.

"Using the 21-gauge today? I guess you guys don't want to—" The syringe was shoved into Seifer's arm, the needle a sufficient caliber for the fast injection.

The medicine burned as it entered his bloodstream. Seifer made a noise in the back of his throat, the taste in his mouth sour. He jolted his head back at the sudden shock that ran through his body. Then he began to feel sick, then dizzy. He couldn't control which way his head rolled, his body was like a bag of water.

"Your drugs are quick…" He breathed, his pupils dilating.

The nurse cleaned up the tools she used and released the tourniquet before she left. "He's good to go." The associate on Seifer's left examined him from a safe distance. Seifer noticed their shudder when he made eye-contact. "He seems healthy but what about his stamina?"

"He's never had problems with stamina. 527 is a very… _resilient_ subject." Seifer heard Kozeransk bragging about his accomplishments, but his eyes stayed on the associate standing in the middle. She bent over, lifting Seifer's lips and examining his teeth. "Teeth look exceptionally healthy and clean, gums are good." What about the rest of his hygiene? He seems filthy."

Seifer snorted. "Try bathing in a sink, then we'll talk. Ever brushed your teeth with a piece of wood doc?" He smirked as his eyes stayed on the female doctor, her hands feeling his muscle structure. "We'll need to recalculate the dose. He's showing signs of mild atrophy from disuse …"

"Yeah, I've got a muscle you can massage. I promise you it's not atrophied from disuse…" Seifer somehow managed to let words escape his lips as the doctor pulled out a small flashlight, examining his eyes. Dr. Kozeransk laughed, lightly patting Seifer's cheek. "527 is one of my favorites. Not a day goes by where I don't enjoy his company! He'll definitely be a good candidate for the Junction program. Especially with his checkered past, I know of a few doctors who would like to research his memory…so if it fails, we'll be able to harvest and examine where we went wrong." The female doctor stood, looking to Kozeransk. "That will have to wait until after the presentation. I'll have to get some blood work before we take him underground, but that can wait until after he leaves. Has he eaten today?"

"You could just ask me?" Seifer was getting frustrated at the feeling of being ignored.

"No. 527 has a rather hard time acknowledging authority and obedience can be a problem, but I'm sure after the display is all over he'll just be happy to be alive until the real fun begins." The doctors uttered quiet chuckles as Seifer's eyes darted around the room. He felt dizzy; his heart began to beat quicker.

_Happy to be…alive?_

"What the hell does that mean, doc? I'm not getting executed?"

"Damn, I need to get to the front gates, President Menelaus will be arriving soon." The doctor on the far right spoke, checking his watch. "We still need to grab lunch and prepare 527's room." Higgins released Seifer's body, letting him fall face first onto his mattress. Seifer breathed heavily, his head lolling over the side of the bed, his arms cramping from being restrained. He began to hallucinate, hearing noises that didn't exist. Laughter, whispers. The room felt like it was shrinking, like he was shrinking.

The nurse returned and injected a second shot into his arm. This one made the vertigo disappear almost instantly. "You should be feeling just fine in about half an hour." She stated and walked out, obedient and robotic. Seifer moaned, his brow furrowing in confusion. He watched Higgins begin to slide the door, leaving Seifer on the mattress. He lay there for what felt like hours, waiting for his eyes to focus again. He tried to sit up, still confused to what had happened but it seemed he couldn't even lift his arms. He was paralyzed, numb. There was nothing he could do but lie there and stare at the wall.

_So that's it then, Seifer? You're just going to give up and die? _

_What else am I supposed to do? I can barely walk as it is. I've pushed everyone away._

_Friends…family…everyone. _

…_I'm going to die alone. _

An hour passed and Higgins appeared at the door with three other guards. Nothing was said, Seifer knew why they were there. He put his arms forward as one of the guards unlocked the cell, sliding the door open. Seifer stepped forward, looking around at their emotionless faces. A guard kneeled down, placing shackles around Seifer's ankles.

"We're good to go." He stood, leading Seifer into the hallway.

Higgins took lead, keeping his eyes straight forward as four guards surrounded Seifer. The chains on his ankles dragged, cutting into his heel and limiting his movement. The marching of the guards echoed through the damp halls. Seifer watched as other inmates stared. A masculine man spat on the ground in front of Seifer. "It's to the execution chamber with you, eh? About damn time they killed you…" The guards kept close to Seifer, leading him further on. Seifer's skin burned, feeling the eyes of angry inmates staring right through him. A second man threw himself at the door to his cell, reaching for Seifer. "Die slow you bastard!" The commotion drew more and more attention to Seifer, making the semi-quiet walk to the end of the hall now a riotous uproar of slander and hate. Other inmates defended Seifer, fighting and screaming at each other in an hysterical debate. He held his head low, trying to keep from getting hit with anything hard.

Higgins halted the men at the large red double-doors at the end of the hall. He kicked one side hard, shouting. "Open doors for dead man walking!" Seifer worked his fingers through his hair before the doors opened, it was then when he looked up, and he saw the spectators that arrived for his death. The large concrete room had six rows of chairs reaching to the back, each one of them full. It was then when Seifer began faltering in his footsteps. His breath became quick and uneasy when he saw Squall and Zell sitting in the fourth row at the very end.

_What the hell are you two doing here?_

Squall looked away as Zell nodded in acknowledgement, his expression anxious. He looked at the families of the victims he took responsibility for, watching as their eyes burned into him.

Higgins reported to a group of doctors and officers in black uniforms, handing over paperwork and turned to look at Seifer, who was more focused on the audience.

"We present to the witnesses and Galbadian Department of Control, Prisoner 527, Seifer Adan Almasy."

Seifer looked back over at Squall and Zell. Squall looked completely numb from the situation. He felt confusion when Squall stood, walking to the back of the room. Zell quickly followed suit. He gawked as they exited the building. That was when he saw Rinoa and her father. They had taken their place at the front of the entire assembly. Seifer looked at Caraway, his face a slate stone cold expression. But he could see in Caraway's eyes the glint of victory.

_It should be you up here. Not me. _

He looked at Rinoa, watching as she pulled her white cardigan closer to her chest. A mixture of tears and mascara ran down her cheeks.

_Why are you crying?_

Seifer's attention was snapped back when he felt his body being moved again. This time towards the large wooden pole that sat on a short platform. When he was led up the three steps, a guard removed the chains from his wrists temporarily. "Remove your shirt."

Seifer nodded absently, carefully pulling the thin white shirt over his head. He heard the growing murmurs when his torso was completely exposed. His hands trailed down, trying to conceal his midsection. He felt naked, ashamed. A shell of the man he used to be.

He saw Dr. Muri Aulda lower her eyes to the floor and then glance back Seifer, a glimmer of disgust danced across her face before she realized Seifer noticed.

_Why so disgusted? You're the one who did this to me, remember? _

"Don't appreciate your own handiwork?" Seifer was pushed to the front of the platform, facing the spectators. He scanned the room as they put him to his knees for the reading of his charges. "Seifer Adan Almasy, you are hereby condemned to death by firing squad by a jury of your peers. Sentence imposed by a judge in good standing in the country of Galbadia. Do you have anything to say before the sentence is carried out?"

_She isn't here. _

Seifer looked around, watching as the crowd grew silent. Rinoa leaned forward, expecting Seifer to do something. React. Anything.

He thought long and hard about it. Four years ago, had someone asked him how he thought he was going to die; he would've picked anything but this. Seifer thought about his past memories, his dreams, growing up in Garden, his first girlfriend, his first weapon, his first victory, his first moment of glory… there was nothing he could say that would sum it all up.

_I will die alone here in this warehouse. _

He shook his head solemnly, feeling the guards lift him from his position and lead him back to the wooden pole. They removed the shackles on his ankles, watching as he turned to face the audience.

"Bring out the firing squad!" Higgins ordered.

The sound of marching feet could be heard from the hall opposite where Seifer had entered. Five soldiers appeared, dressed in black, carrying their weapons in a militaristic fashion.

_At least there's some formality to it. I expected a 'take him out back and put one between his eyes' kind of thing. _Seifer forced out a laugh, involuntarily composing himself as the soldiers entered. His breathing became as fast and anxious as his heartbeat. The reality of it all sunk in. His eyes focused, his mind sharpened, his senses became acute. He could feel every grain in the wood behind him, the cold steel of the floor. It was as if another great fight was upon him, only it wasn't. Now he felt as if he had to live out the last seconds of his life in grizzly detail.

_Warrior surge._

"You afraid, boy? You oughta be. I seen some boys take an awful long time to die…" Higgins muttered, lifting Seifer's arms over his head and handcuffing them to the loop overhead. Looking down at his own hip bones protruding, Seifer didn't realize until now how thin he had ended up. "I'm tired of waiting." Seifer looked over at Higgins. "I know you're anxious to watch another man terrified to die, but I won't give you an inch…" He grinned and tilted his head over and whispered. "You candy assed bitch..."

Seifer's smile was cut short soon after Higgins' fist came into contact with Seifer's face. Loud outbursts exploded as Higgins was pulled back, kicking and screaming. Seifer spat a mouthful of blood on the floor, disgusting a few of the onlookers.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT! I HOPE YOU DIE SLOW YOU SONOFABITCH!"

Seifer looked on at the crowd as it was silenced by the order from the soldier taking Higgins' place.

"Ready places!"

He could hear his heartbeat in his throat. The metallic clicks of the guns echoed in the large room.

"Aim!"

In what was only a matter of seconds, Seifer managed to remember his mother. Her blue eyes, her blonde hair cut short, just barely past her ears. She always sung the Prayer of Forgiveness to him before she tucked him in at night, and she died in the streets of Timber. Seifer forced his eyes open, in deep concentration. He didn't want to die with his eyes closed.

"Fire!"

_Back to heaven…_


	6. Breathe In, Breathe Out

**Disclaimer:** _As much as I think it'd be awesome, I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, it's characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction.  
_This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consensual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

**Five – Breathe In, Breathe Out**

Seifer didn't know whether to be enchanted or terrified having returned to his cell. It had been two days since Quistis stopped the execution. A hair later and he would have been executed. Lying on his back, he listening to the rain. The Rain season began the night Nino left, and he was sure that for the first time, he was starting to appreciate the bad weather. He smiled to himself, just happy to not be in a wooden box.

_What are they doing here really? _

_Why was I spared? _

_What's going to happen to me?_

His smile grew into a smirk when he remembered Caraway's face. How he stood in protest, how he and Aulda both frenzied over my life.

_A unanimous vote against my death… how about that? _He dozed off for only a short while, but awoke to the sound of the cell door slamming shut.

"We sure are gonna miss you boy…" He heard Higgins growl. He handcuffed him to his bedpost. "You know, judging by your character I'd think you'd have a nice homely wife that you'd go home to just to beat…" Seifer teased, but immediately shut his mouth when he felt a needle in his neck. As he felt the plunger push the liquid into his system, Seifer blinked, confused by the reaction his body was feeling.

Higgins took a step back, watching eagerly as Seifer sat up, his hand on his throat. He had a taste in his throat he couldn't define, his body felt hazy, clouded.

"Dr. Kozeransk asked me to do a special favor for him, you see?" Higgins grinned wickedly. "He wanted me to do the honors of activating the DNA strain in your body that's going to change everything."

Seifer stood, staggering to the opposite wall. His senses were amplified, his vision so sharp it hurt to focus on anything around him. With his jaw slack, he looked at the guard with raw terror. He had never felt anything like it. It was like an uneasy emotion rushing over his body, amplifying with each wave. A crescendo, a pulse getting more and more frequent as the seconds passed.

Higgins reached toward Seifer, startling him as he dragged Seifer back to the bed and handcuff his wrist to the bed bolted to the floor. Unsure of what was going on, Seifer had been concentrating on everything to realize that his depth perception had been thrown off.

"Something's wrong…" Seifer cried out, feeling something ignite inside of him.

"Shut the fuck up." Higgins shoved the keys in his pocket.

Seifer felt like he needed to vomit. He rolled over, heaving but nothing came out. As the final rush hit him, he twisted on his back, screaming at the top of his lungs as he felt his entire body burst into searing agony. Higgins watched Seifer writhe in pain, groaning and twisting his body until he fell off the bed. His arms were twisted from the handcuffs, blood starting to trickle from his wrists as he tried to get away. Higgins kneeled over, grabbing Seifer's hair and yanking his head back. "The good doctor promoted me after that stint you pulled. He knows how much I love watching little pricks like you get tortured day in and day out…" His words fell on deaf ears, Seifer couldn't listen to anything but the sounds of his own screaming. He hoped, prayed—someone, anyone would hear him. His vision flickered and he caught a glimpse of a shadow in the darkness. When the shadow appeared, he felt no pain, but it was for such a short second that it made no difference. Seifer clawed at the metal frame of the bed as he stared at the guard. His nails bent and broke off as he dug into the rusted metal.

"Maybe… maybe I gave you too much…"Higgins smile dropped as he frantically began filtering his pockets for his keys, Seifer's body convulsed on the floor, shaking violently as he started to pull the bed out of it's bolted down vice. Tears fell to the floor as the anguish pushed him to his limit. His vision went in and out of focus as he watched Higgins remove the handcuffs from him.

Higgins backed away, watching Seifer struggle on the floor as he began to lose consciousness.

"Get…." Seifer groaned, watching Higgins disappear into a blinding light, as if he was underwater. He watched Higgins slide the door open, looking back and forth from Seifer and another guard, who was motioning for him to leave. Seifer raised a shaking hand, noticing the blood coating his fingers.

A brilliant light flared into his vision his eyes were closed, but as they slowly opened, Seifer squinted at the light. An oxygen mask covered his face. Barely conscious, Seifer reached for it, confused. A hand stopped him as his surroundings came into focus.

_A hospital room…?_

"Easy, Seifer. You're in bad shape but you're safe."

Seifer couldn't tell which person this sweet voice belonged to. He felt cold, as if someone had pulled him from the depths of a deep Trabian ocean. His blue eyes looked cautiously, seeing a wrinkled hand reach for his, holding it tight. Seifer's face drew a blank, puzzled when he recognized his caregiver.

_Wait…I was just in…_

"Don't be afraid, you're a long ways away from that wretched place."

_I'm not afraid, I'm confused._

The way she spoke to him calmed his nerves, helped him relax. When his eyes focused, he realized she had aged, but she was still the same kind doctor he knew.

_Dr. Kadowaki…_

Seifer made a sound at the back of his throat, trying to speak. His mouth felt swollen, his throat sore. "Where—"

"Try not to speak. You're in Winhill. A friend of mine owns this private practice and has given us a room for you to regain your strength before we travel for Balamb." The greying woman smiled as she squeezed the bag of saline connected to Seifer's IV.

He looked out the window over his bed.

"Ah yes, it seems you're not the only one who left that prison."

Thunder rolled across the Winhill sky, sending vibrations into Seifer's chest. The rain poured heavily against the window, making waving motions of liquid down the pane.

"If you get to feeling better, we'll be able to take you outside tomorrow. Right now, you're very sick, Seifer. Your body is malnourished, and you need these fluids to keep you stable." The kind doctor checked her watch and stood. "I need to head home. My assistant Tomé will be here in a few minutes to watch over you tonight."

Seifer smiled weakly, nodding with the same effort. He waited until Dr. Kadowaki was gone before he sat up and pulled off the mask. He looked around the area, noting the rural feeling of the room. Everything inside of the room seemed cozy, like a home almost. Paintings of landscapes complimented the beige walls, while flowers hung near the windowsills.

_How long had he been there? A few hours? Days? Weeks…?_

He planted his feet on the ground and slowly pulled out the IV in his arm. Slipping the covers off and reaching for the brown robe next to him, the tall blonde stood, keeping his balance by holding onto the sturdy chair by the bed. Exhausted by the time he made it to the door, Seifer drifted uneasily until he had made it down the hall. Seifer's mouth gaped at the large bay windows in the lobby of the physician's office. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen so much open sky at once.

Seifer didn't even notice Tomé watching from the end of the hall as he opened the doors, the tall figure standing in the doorframe, gazing in awe at the raging storm pouring from the split sky. Seifer's hands landed on the door's latch, pushing it open slowly. He couldn't remember the last time he opened a door without it being locked. This simple action amazed him. Looking up, he found that the activity above him was far more amazing.

He felt compelled to slowly walk beneath the storm, the wind and rain pounding against his frame. The robe fell off of his body and he felt the fresh cold rain hit him, the elements of Winhill soaking into his very being.

_Everything's feels so – different. _

A low rumble of thunder washed over the small town, encircling Seifer as he stood, his mouth widening into a smile as he raised his arms, embracing the raging storm. He became transfixed when a jagged bolt of lightning shattered and illuminated the sky. It was almost as if the storm was made for Seifer.

_For four years all I could think about was the end, now I'm starting to realize that I am finally alive…_

* * *

Seifer woke from his sleep the next morning. The sun beamed on his face as he rolled over, feeling the warm kiss of the light on his face. He sat up, the IV back in his arm once again. Seifer disconnected the fill port that led to the peripheral IV line on his arm and stood, having improved in his functions since the night before.

Shuffling across the room, he made his way into the bathroom and began to wash his face. As he turned the faucet on, he noticed a pair of electric clippers on a shelf. His gaze led from the clippers to the mirror and he observed his hair. It was a shaggy matted mess.

He reached for the clippers, turning them on. The low hum vibrated into his ears, signaling to put them to his scalp. He watched as he went down the side of his head, the blond trusses falling down to his shoulders and trickling down to the tiled floor. Stopping for a brief moment to brush out any hairs on the clippers, he went in again for the next row. Seifer's eyes locked on the figure out of his focus. In the mirror, Tomé stood behind him in the doorway, watching him.

She pointed at the door to his room. "I'll be in the kitchen; I've got your lunch cooking!" Her straight red hair fluttered when she turned, making her exit.

Seifer acknowledged with a nod and continued to glide the sharp clippers down the back of his head, finishing off the other side. All that was left was the stripe down the middle of his scalp. Contemplating on if he should keep it or not, he decided against it and went ahead with the clippers.

The broom rested against the inside closet in the bathroom. Grabbing it, Seifer swept up his hair and threw it in the trash. Satisfied, he turned the faucets on and began to undress, desperate for a shower. Once inside, a great sigh of relief washed over him. The water embraced him, making him feel almost as revitalized as he did the night before. Grabbing a bar of soap, he washed his face a second time, then the rest of his body. He rolled his neck around from side to side, the bar of soap running along his collarbone.

_This is the best shower I've ever had in my life. _

He hadn't had clean water in a long time, let alone a long relaxing shower. Seifer washed up until the water turned unbearably cold. When he was finished, he wrapped the towel around his waist tightly and stepped out. In passing, he glanced at the reflection in the mirror. At twenty-five, his eyes were hardened by the wisdom and wariness of one who had endured pain beyond his years. He pushed a hand across his forehead, wiping off the water and walked out. While he had been in the shower, someone left a white button-down shirt and jeans for him to wear with a note.

"_Seifer, when you're finished getting ready— you MUST be reconnected with the IV as we need you ready for travel today. – DR. K."_

He studied the clothes for a moment and sighed. "These will do for now." Once he finished getting dressed, he reached for the IV bag and walked out of the room.

Tomé sat at a table in a room which seemed to have been the kitchen inside the physician's office. Then again, the building had looked as if it has been a house once.

Seifer cleared his throat and Tomé looked up from her crossword. She smiled brightly and stood, smoothing out her dress and doctor's coat.

Her hand reached out for his and she spoke, her voice was sweet and light. "My name is Tomé Kadowaki." Seifer's eyes focused on her, not seeing the resemblance. "Dr. Kadowaki has a daughter?" Tomé grinned widely. "Uh…she has for the past twenty-seven years?" She laughed, leading him to the table and pulling up an IV stand. "Lunch is ready, let's see how you can handle solid foods now!"

Seifer normally didn't like the bubbly personalities most girls had, but he found it refreshing being around someone who wasn't barking orders at him. Tomé wore a pale floral dress, which stopped at her knees. As she removed the lab coat, she replaced it with a light grey cardigan and hurried to the kitchen. "We met last night, but I'm sure you don't remember. We can't figure out what that guard injected you with but wow, was it ugly!" Her face was kind and gentle. Occasionally the redhead would glance over from her thick green glasses, making sure he was still there. "Last night, I was watching you. I don't think I've ever seen someone so happy to see a thunderstorm. But, considering…"

Seifer blushed from embarrassment. "I guess I was going a little overboard last night." He rubbed the back of his head, still not used to the fuzz back there. His head felt lighter, colder since he shaved it all off. He stared at the IV stand, watching the medicine bag hanging from it drip slowly into the clear tubing.

Tomé smiled, gently setting a plate of fresh baked bread down, along with a large bowl of vegetable stew with dumplings. The aroma of the food made Seifer's mouth water, and he immediately began to eat, starting with the bread.

"Careful, it's hot. I'd wait on the stew first. The woman from the floral shop gave me the recipe."

Seifer's leg shook anxiously as he waited for the meal to cool, listening to Tomé, who was pouring Seifer a cup of tea.

"The paperwork has been cleared and I will be approving you for travel to Balamb Garden. I just need Dr. Kadowaki's final consent and we should be able to get you out of here." She sat down across from the blonde, turning on the television. "You'll be travelling by train with me and my mother—err, Dr. Kadowaki."

Seifer nodded, taking his first bite of the stew. He closed his eyes, realizing he hadn't tasted real food in four years.

"This is the most delicious meal I've ever had…" He said with a mouthful, his eyes glancing at the television when he heard the news come on.

"_The United Council has release a statement regarding the stop of Seifer Almasy's execution on Friday. President Vinzer Deling was seen walking alongside Balamb Garden Headmaster Squall Leonhart and Executive Assistant Quistis Trepe."_

"Squall's the Headmaster?" Seifer mumbled in disbelief between bites, his eyes darting from the television to Tomé.

Tomé looked up from her glasses and smiled. "It was made official over a week ago. Former Headmaster Cid stepped down from position and appointed Former Commander Leonhart. " She pointed at the television when footage of Squall walked alongside Deling and Quistis.

"_Deling reported to the press that the reasoning behind the halting of the execution due to a grave error in the sentencing for his case. We have reason to believe that none of his actions could ever have been his alone. The council is aware that somebody must pay for the crimes, but at this point, the case is in the air._" The television showed Deling speaking at a press conference. "_There were errors behind the persecution that we, the United Council will try to put right. For the time being, Seifer Almasy is under Garden custody. I'm not at liberty to say where._" The screen cut back to the reporter. "_General Caraway, among the survivors of Almasy's terror refused to comment on the situation._"

Seifer pushed the empty bowl forward and stood, pulling his IV stand along with him. He walked over to the window, looking outside. The sun shown brightly, making everything glisten from the rain.

"Why am I here, Tomé?" He turned to look back at Tomé. She stood, her glasses removed.

"Seifer, we can't let anybody know where you are. Haven't you wondered why you've been released into Balamb's protection?"

He listened to the birds for a moment, watching as they hopped on the ground, pecking for food. "I meant, why am I not at the institution?" He turned to face her. "Why did they stop the execution?"

"I can't—"

"Good morning, Seifer!" Dr. Kadowaki shuffled inside the kitchen, her arms full with baggage. "I'm sure you're ready to get out of this quiet little town, huh?" She put her hands on her waist and smiled. "Ok, let's take a look at you!"

She motioned for Tomé to assist her the moment Seifer sat on the chair by the window. Reaching for her stethoscope, she listened to his breathing as her daughter reached for his arm.

"Is it tender?" Dr. Kadowaki watched as Seifer carefully pulled his sleeve up.

Tomé smiled warmly as one of her hands reached to the IV, closing the roller clamp near the bag. She carefully removed the tape and pressed gauze over the site, removing the catheter tube from Seifer's arm and securing it with surgical tape. "Extend your arm, please."

"Your lungs are healthy," She looked at Seifer through the glasses at the bridge of her nose. "Do you smoke?"

"Not in four years." Seifer smirked.

"Pulse rate and rhythm is at 70, that's a good sign." Tomé released her hands from Seifer's wrist, reaching for her blood pressure monitor as Dr. Kadowaki cupped his face in her hand, shining a light into his eyes.

He could hear Dr. Kozeransk's voice echoing in the back of his mind. _"5-2-7 is one of my favorites. Not a day goes by where I don't enjoy his company! He'll definitely be a good candidate for the Junction program!"_

"Are we finished?" Seifer asked, almost impatient.

Dr. Kadowaki smiled with a nod. "Yes, dear. We'll be leaving in half an hour. Tomé and I will be joining you, but I want to make a few things clear to you, young man." Her voice changed into a motherly tone. "Now I convinced Squall that I would keep you here until I made sure you were healthy enough for travel. We will be boarding the train that will take us to Timber then Balamb. I won't need to worry about you running, will I?"

Seifer smiled, cocking his head to the side. "Where will I go?" He looked down and started rolling up his sleeves. "Garden's my only family now, doctor. I won't go anywhere else."

Dr. Kadowaki patted his cheek and walked over to the table and sat down. She poured herself a cup of tea and took a small sip. For a brief second Seifer could've sworn he saw a tear in her eye.

* * *

In four days they had reached Timber, and two days after that, they arrived in the Balamb Train Station. Seifer slipped on his sunglasses and lifted the hood of his thin jacket up, covering his head. He sat for a moment, staring out the window. The station had changed, seeming to be under the process of restoration.

_The last time I was here I was fishing with Fujin and Raijin…I saw the Garden fly overhead that day, sailing away. _

"Seifer? Are you ready?"

Tomé leaned over to get Seifer's attention, handing them two bags. He nodded, standing and following Tomé out of the train car.

"Dr. K!" Zell smiled, walking towards her with his arms opened. Dr. Kadowaki reciprocated the hug from the uniformed SeeD. "Wow! It's been a few years!" He lifted the bags his former doctor had carried off the train. As he stood back up he watched Seifer and Tomé walking towards them, Seifer moving swiftly through the crowd of passengers.

"How is he?" Zell looked over to Dr. Kadowaki, a look of concern worn across his face. Being cautious about the concept of having Seifer returning to the Garden, he knew Dr. Kadowaki would lay it to him straight.

"Seifer has surprised me. He's a much different young man than when he was a student, among other things."

Zell watched as Seifer moved swiftly through the crowd of passengers, most of them not even acknowledging his existence. Seifer was invisible. He stopped a couple feet from Zell, his expression completely blank.

Zell smiled nervously. "Hey, man."

Seifer's eyes were completely concealed by his sunglasses, his hood casted a shadow across his features. Curling the corner of his mouth into a semi-smirk, he lowered his head, removing his sunglasses and looking back at Zell. "Expecting a hug, Dincht?" Seifer brushed past the shorter man, heading towards the Balamb-G Transport vehicle.

Zell stood speechless, watching as Dr. Kadowaki followed next to Seifer.

Tomé rubbed on Zell's back, smiling. "This is very difficult for him, give him some time and I'm sure you'll see what I mean."

"He's not going to like what I'm gonna have to do when we get inside the vehicle." Zell muttered as he helped Tomé climb into the vehicle.

Three SeeD cadets sat in the front of the transport, one keeping a close eye on Seifer.

Zell secured the luggage in its compartment and started approaching Seifer, who had made a place for himself at the back of the vehicle. He was reading an issue of _Timber Maniacs_ Zell had left in the seat.

_Please don't kick my ass for this..._

The cadet keeping an eye on Seifer stood, reaching for a black briefcase which caught Seifer's attention.

"Is there any reason other than the obvious as to why your cadet here is acting so nervous around me?" Seifer looked up from the magazine.

Zell glanced back at the cadet, motioning for him to sit. He reached for the briefcase and kneeled in front of Seifer. He remembered Squall's words in the back of his head.

_Don't let Seifer run the show, Zell._

"I need you to roll up your pant leg, man." Zell was looking at the briefcase, opening it and pulling out a fabric-like device. He didn't notice that Seifer's eyebrow rose.

"Why?"

Zell groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Just do it."

Zell's hands wrapped an electronic monitoring bracelet around Seifer's left ankle the moment it was exposed. As Zell clicked the bracelet's buckle into place; a long strip of green light illuminated on the top edge of the bracelet's band.

Seifer examined the band for a moment before rolling his pant leg back down again. "This is a little unnecessary, Dincht."

"This was what the United Council and Garden agreed upon. As long as you're released into our custody, this stays on. I'm sorry man, but those are the rules." Zell stood, brushing off his pants. "Ok, so here's the rundown. What you've got on is an ankle bracelet. It keeps an eye on you when we can't—"

"You're telling me stuff I already know. I got it, the blue light will turn red if I leave the radius I'm granted."

"That's not all though, this is the Detainment edition. If in the event you decide to run away or if you are deemed dangerous to us, there's a microscopic device inside the cuff that will inject you with a small amount of knock-out juice. Nasty stuff too." Zell looked behind at the cadet.

"What else is special about these cuffs, Drake?" Zell's tone of voice turned into that of an Instructor's.

A young cadet turned around, his black hair in his eyes.

"Um…with the Detainment Edition, we would be able to track your location from anywhere with it, as well as administer a one-time dose of succinylcholine which relaxes the muscles, like Instructor Dincht said—knock-out juice."

Seifer just stared at the nerdy kid, who was no older than fifteen. He smiled sheepishly before relocating behind his Instructor.

Zell pulled a laptop from below the seats, opening it and started up-linking Seifer's cuff. "Satellites are back up, and with Balamb's country-wide network, we're wireless. Drake, why do we only keep one dose of succinylcholine in each cuff?"

"The onset of toxicity following an overdose of this specific administered drug would be fatal. Mr. Almasy would die within seconds of the infusion." Drake smirked proudly. His grin faded when he caught Seifer staring him down. The only thing making Seifer move were the motions of the vehicle as it returned to Garden.

"Before that, all you'd need to do is cast Sleep…" Dr. Kadowaki shook her head.

Zell's fingers rapidly moved across the keyboard. He smiled and looked over to the cadet eyeballing Seifer.

"What about the symptoms? Let's hear from Gust."

Gust was an abnormally muscular student, his arms almost as big as Seifer's, but had to have been no less than 16. "The manifestations of an ultrashort-acting barbiturate in overdose include central nervous systems shutting down, respiratory depression, hypotension, loss of peripheral vascular resistance, and muscular hyperactivity ranging from twitching to convulsive-like movements."

Zell smiled. "Good, but that's not all. Tomé, if you could…"

Tomé smiled, reaching for Seifer's hand. "Other findings from the trials included convulsions and allergic reactions. Following massive exposure to any barbiturate, pulmonary edema, circulatory collapse with loss of peripheral vascular tone, and cardiac arrest has been known to occur."

Zell clapped his hand once. "Everyone gets an additional forty points added to their grade today." He looked at Seifer, who just reciprocated with his signature glare. "It's just important that you know what the risks are in the even that you decide to get clever and run—"

"Don't worry Dincht; I'll stay in the playpen like a good boy…"


	7. Catalyst

**Disclaimer:** _As much as I think it'd be awesome, I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, it's characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction.  
_This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consensual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

_WARNING: This chapter contains sexual content!_

**Six – Catalyst**

Seifer walked alongside with Zell's party as they exited the parking lot. Seeing the garden after seven years caused him to stop in his tracks. Once inside the halls, he felt dizzy, gaining vertigo as he looked at the architecture that was like new to him.

Tomé reached for his arm in support. "You're still weak from the poison. Are you okay?" Seifer brushed it off, holding his palms to the back of his head. "It's just unbelievable."

Dr. Kadowaki felt Seifer's forehead with the back of her hand. "You've got a fever, Seifer. We should get you to the infirmary and get more fluids in you." Seifer immediately backed away, shaking his head. The last thing he wanted was to sit in a hospital bed. He had enough of those to last a lifetime.

Zell dismissed his students and returned back to the group. "Welcome home, Seifer."

"Home." Seifer stated. The word had been missing in his vocabulary.

Zell reached into his pocket for his phone. Hearing the jingle startled him. "I need to report in to Squall. Tomé, can ya show Seifer his room?" He pulled a keycard out of his pocket and tossed it to Tomé. As they went opposite directions of Zell, Tomé pulled her hair back, talking with the keycard in her mouth. "Headmaster Cid had Garden grounded, restored back to its original position."

"I guess since I'm not in charge of a Galbadian army, there's no need for fear of being blown up." Seifer said to himself, watching a group of girls studying him. "We house over 5,000 students, staff and SeeD. Quite a large number, considering." Seifer appreciated Tomé's disposition towards him. She obviously didn't judge him for his past. The two strolled into the dormitory halls. "Balamb Garden is now officially the largest Garden, it being the one who carries some of our more important people."

"How long have you been here?"

"For a few years…" Tomé said, smiling. "I love it here. I used to work for a hospital in Timber. When my mother semi-retired, I was offered the position." They turned the corner into the higher ranking halls, where the units were much more dignified than the single dorm room. The same sound that played on Zell's phone alarmed Tomé. She reached for her phone and let out an exasperated sigh. "Cerebral _contusion_." She bit her lower lip, her face worried. "I need to take care of this." Tomé handed him the card key to his room. "Your door is at the very end." She directed, and began to turn. "I'll come by later to bring you your medication."

"Thanks…" Seifer smiled, watching as she walked away. As he walked down the hall, students passed him, most not giving him a second glance. Others stopped to take another look to make sure they weren't seeing things. He began to feel ill, the halls in the Garden slowly transformed into the very same hall he walked down the day of his execution. His hand went to his face, rubbing his eyes. Seifer's head was swimming; the people walking by became a blur. Their faces were fuzzy, bodies all collectively forming as whole dark blotches. He hurried to his door and stuck the card key in the slot next to the door. Unable to locate the bathroom immediately, he rushed to the trashcan and emptied his stomach.

_Seifer walked down the hospital hall, even hazier from the medication than during the interview with Kozeransk. In his sight; people and objects had blurred into one another. Everything seemed to have been slowed down, an echo following behind each staff member or patient who passed his way. To him, this was a crazy world with crazy patients who had lost their way in it. He looked down at his hands, realizing they were shackled, only the link had been broken between the cuffs. Had he broken out? _

_Seifer reached for the wall and ran his hand over it, trying to keep his balance. He spotted Kozeransk, who had stood at the end of the hall, talking with a patient. His eyes shifted toward Seifer, giving an approving look._

"_I don't belong here. I don't..." Seifer spoke softly, like a child, trying to sober up from the drugs that his doctor had administered. The last thing he remembered was being strapped to an operating table. The smell of dirty rust and oil was lingering around him. He couldn't understand why. _

_Seifer's balance faltered but he managed to stay upright, used to drug affects similar to what he was experiencing, but none had compared to the intensity of this. He turned his head to see a shell of an old soldier looking right through him with stilted eyes. _

"_Genome therapy? Yep. Leave it to us grunts to deal with the testing sequences." The soldier spoke in monotone. Seifer shuddered, his gaze still on the soldier. "You only get one shot with therapy. Once they inject you with the initial treatment, your body with either be with you or betray you. Mine…perhaps had I have been more careful, I would have had the chance." _

"_I don't get it." Seifer's voice trembled weakly. _

"_Yeah, don't try and act stupid. I know they've got you doing something special." The soldiers eerily yellow eyes scanned Seifer. "Probably gonna suck the soul right outta ya…just like they did me." _

"_Ok…?" Seifer couldn't help but stare. _

"_Just don't ever let them take away who you are!" The man called out, resuming his position as Seifer walked on. Seifer's eyes had stayed so completely fixed on the soldiers haunting sight that he didn't see what was ahead of him. He bumped right into a hysterical patient whose sudden, earsplitting screams pealed interminably through the air. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it…" Seifer reached out to calm the patient down. Unfortunately, his fumbled efforts to help the man only fed his hysteria more. The screaming was piercingly intolerable. Eventually, Seifer was forced to yell, shaking the patient gently. "Will you listen to me? I'm not going to hurt you. I didn't mean to bump into you!" Orderlies and nurses, followed by Kozeransk, surrounded them, now violently pulling Seifer away from the patient. _

_Kozeransk grabbed onto the now sobbing mess of a patient, pushing Seifer out of the way. "It's ok, Grey, its ok…" Seifer searched their blurred faces and stopped on Kozeransk's as they restrained him, administering more drugs into his veins._

"_I don't belong here..." Seifer whispered, blacking out._

"_Who wasn't paying attention? He just got out of his first treatment session! Get him back to his room immediately!"_

"_I didn't belong there."_ Seifer thought to himself, memories of his prison calling back to him. He cupped his hand in the kitchenette faucet, cleaning out his mouth. He shut the faucet off, grabbing his keycard and heading out the door.

Seifer walked in a quick pace, not wanting to be late. Desperately he wanted to know why his life was spared, why he was given a second chance. Finally reaching the elevator, he had the unfortunate chance of meeting a familiar face.

"Hello, Seifer." The short woman kept her distance in the small area. She pressed the button for the second floor, then the first. "Xu." Seifer kept his gaze at the door, waiting for it to reach Squall's office. "Interesting enough to see you here." She looked up at him, her brown eyes staring. "You must feel so lucky having Headmaster _Squall_ safeguard your life. As if it's not the first time." Seifer said nothing. In truth, Xu and Seifer hated each other. Seifer knew that she wanted him—always had. He reached behind his head and rubbed his neck. "I thought it wasn't right for Squall to prevent them from charging you with war crimes after we defeated Ultimecia and cleaned up the mess you left but…" She laughed, such in a catty way it made Seifer's jaw clench shut. "Well, it's not my say. So how does it feel to be considered a mass murderer _and_ a 'Fallen Sorceress' Knight' at the ripe age of twenty-four—"

Seifer turned to her, leaning forward. "You know," he spoke in a low voice. "I'm not a big fan of small talk, _especially_ when it's between you and me." He chuckled. "So whatever you want to know, or _do_… tell me now or get off on the next floor." He leaned back against the wall, hands in his pockets. Xu was shocked by his sudden phrase. She didn't realize it until it was too late. Tears formed in her eyes as she whispered. "I missed you." Seifer laughed lowly, tilting his head down when he did. "No you didn't. You just missed the times we had in your office…'studying'." He shook his head, looking over at her. "Get it together, Instructor. Somebody's going to see us in here when those doors open and they'll think we've been doing something naughty." He chuckled. "I'm sure that's exactly what you were hoping for, ain't it?"

Xu's fingers hit the 'emergency stop' button and the two of them jolted as the elevator slowed to an immediate stop. "What makes you think I would ever—ugh!" She slapped Seifer's cheek. Seifer turned his head back and reached a hand up to her face. "Face it, the moment you saw me back on the first floor you immediately rushed over here," He looked down at her breasts. "And when you thought I wasn't looking, you unhooked the first few clasps of your blouse…am I right?" Xu blushed, looking down. She felt Seifer's presence over her when he placed both of his hands on the wall, blocking her from moving. She looked up at him, her face bright red.

Seifer inhaled, his chest rising. "Do you want to fuck me, Xu?" He asked quietly, as if someone were listening in. "Yes." She said, her brown hair falling into her face. "Yeah?" He lowered his hand, pressing it against her breast. He craned his neck, looking down on the Instructor. "I can tell you haven't had someone like me around in a while."

"You know I hate that attitude of yours." She rolled her eyes, sighing. Her breathing was becoming infrequent. "That's one way to describe me…" He leaned against her ear, talking with his low tone again. "Is this what you want, Xu?" He kissed her ear lobe. "Do you want me to fuck you here?" She started breathing heavily, her body trembled in short bursts. "You want me to just stop whatever plans I had and just give you the good old in-out routine?"

"Yes." She said breathlessly.

He chuckled again, running his hand down her shirt, undoing the clasps. "That's interesting…" He opened up her shirt, running his fingertips across her stomach and rested them on her back. His other hand reached the buttons on the elevator and pressed the lock button underneath. "We definitely don't want that." She smiled, pushing her lips forward to kiss Seifer. He turned his head away quickly to avoid it. Pleased, Seifer chuckled for a moment. To Xu's surprise, he reached back and released the lock on the elevator and pushed himself away from her, his back to the doors.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I haven't had sex in four years, but I still won't fuck _you_."

Xu raised an eyebrow looking up at her former student. "I thought that we were—"

"The little trysts we had Instructor, are _long_ gone. I'm getting too old to be your school boy toy, and school marm's just don't do it for me." His voice dripped venom. For once Xu was speechless. She flipped her hair and began buttoning her shirt again, watching Seifer standing back in the position he held when he had first stepped in. "Say, whatever happened to this mysterious girl I've been hearing about? Nino was it? For all of the years that I've known you, I've never pictured you as someone to keep a girl as long as you did and then sifting through for someone new."

"_She_ found someone new." He said after a while, straightening his shirt.

The doors swung open to reveal the second floor's empty hall. "Your floor, Instructor." He said lowly. "Sounds like you weren't good enough." She smirked, trying to put Seifer down as she stepped out of the elevator. "Oh, you know from experience that's not true. Have a splendid day, Instructor." Seifer forcefully pressed the button to close the doors. He leaned his head back against the wall, exhaling.

By the time the doors opened again, Seifer stepped off wearing a pleasing smirk across his lips. The doors to the Headmaster's office were locked with an electronic sensor. He looked around, noticing the button on the secretary's unoccupied desk. Pressing the button, he rushed to open the doors, letting himself in. Disappointment was on his face when he noticed the office was empty. Hearing voices in the conference room, he made his way there.

He stormed down to the doors and pushed them open, making an entrance. He watched the heads of his former instructor and schoolmates turn their heads and pause. They had been having a meeting with various Garden Instructors and Student Council. Each member looked away shyly when Seifer began to approach them, stopping at the edge of the table. Squall sat at the opposite end, reading a dossier as Rinoa sat by his side. "Don't all get up at once." He said, smirking.

"You're early!" Quistis smiled warmly and closed her binder as she stood.

Rinoa's reaction was the opposite of how Quistis greeted Seifer. She stood up, her brown eyes dead set on him. "What is this?" She jerked her head towards Zell. "Zell, what were you thinking letting him loose in the Garden? I was under the impression he wouldn't be alone!" Zell put a hand up. "We'll talk about it later." As he stood, bowing in respect to the officials. "Perhaps we can regroup tomorrow to discuss the overcrowding in the Training Facility?" Her face grew into a scowl as Seifer nodded in respect for the people rising and making their exits quietly. "Do you realize what kind of monster he is-what he's done to my family?"

"Been a long time hasn't it, Rinoa? How's daddy doing these days?" Seifer smiled predatorily, his long fingers reaching for the plush black chair at the end of the table. He sat down, stretching his long legs on the chair next to his. As the remaining SeeD officials made their exit, Rinoa was the only one left standing. Zell cleared his throat, motioning for her to sit. Seifer leaned forward, reaching for the glass pitcher on the table and pouring himself a drink. "My apologies if I interrupted anything important."

"Nothing terribly urgent Seifer, it's a weekly meeting we have discussing concerns for Garden." Quistis lifted her briefcase and sat down, pulling out her laptop. "They knew you were coming and knew that today would probably be cut short."

"Someone _please_ tell me why this psycho is here!" Rinoa demanded, throwing her hand out in Seifer's direction.

"Rinoa, stop yelling!" Zell groaned loudly, slamming his hand down on the glass tabletop.

"Actually I'd like to know that myself…" Seifer looked down at his file, which was in the hands of his former rival. His eyes went up to Squall, waiting for him to lift up his head and speak. "So what's the story Mr. Leader?" He smiled, leaning forward. "Did you miss me?" The only thing that moved on Squall was a slight pointing gesture with his hand towards Quistis, pointing. He shifted his weight and continued reading. Seifer raised an eyebrow and sighed. He turned in his chair to set his attention on his former Instructor.

"Seifer… about a month ago, there was an assassination attempt on Selphie Tilmitt."

"The little messenger girl? That Selphie?" Seifer had a slight hint of concern in his voice. "Is she okay?"

"She's been moved to a safe location outside of Garden until such a precedent time when it's considered safe for her to be in public." Quistis said, handing him the case file.

"What does this have to do with me?" Seifer set the file on the table, feeling everybody watching him. "We have reason to believe that it was the Mireille group who tried to carry out the attempt."

Rinoa stood up, her phone buzzing. "I need to go pick up our daughter." She looked to Squall, "I said I'm going to go get our daughter!" when he didn't respond, she smacked the table. "I heard you the first time!" Squall mumbled, turning a page. "I'll meet up with you two in a few hours."

"It's been wonderful seeing you, maybe later you and I can have lunch and talk about the times your father was a merciless bastard!" Seifer taunted.

Rinoa stopped in her tracks, only a few feet from Seifer. She looked back at Quistis and Zell who stood with their mouths open. As Rinoa looked back at Seifer, she lifted her purse in her hand and hurled it across his arm. Seifer laughed, rubbing the now sore area. "Bastard." She hissed before exiting. "Wow…she hasn't changed." Seifer chuckled lowly and looked down at the file. "So where's what's-his-face?" Seifer asked, putting his feet back up in the chair. "The gun-slingin' cowboy."

"Irvine is currently Galbadia Garden's Facility Commander." Quistis lowered her voice carefully, "He's soon to be taking over Caraway's position, or so it's rumored."

"I still don't get it." Seifer slapped the file down on the table and looked around, stretching. "Do you believe that somehow I'm a part of this?"

"No...It's not that at all." Zell shook his head.

"So what is it then?"

"You had help when you were busy taking over Galbadia Garden." Squall said quietly, now taking notes.

"Tell you who I know and what I know of them? Is that it?"

"When you were in Deling City, D-District, taking over Garden and finding the Lunatic Pandora, you had help." Squall resumed his note taking. "Nino Mireille was a name that came up in our research. There were mentions of her helping you."

Zell looked back at Seifer. His blood became hot when Seifer shook his head. "I never kiss and tell." Seifer rested his hands on his stomach, his expression serious. "Send me back to prison; you're just wasting time with me."

"DAMN IT!" Zell slammed his fist on the glass table, causing Squall to jump from his concentration. "The friends you're protecting are the ones that tried to kill Selphie! She's one of us, man! We're your family!"

"They ain't my friends, ok? They're the people who sent me away." Seifer mumbled. He stood, halting when the quiet man at the end made a noise in his throat. "I bet you didn't find any of that in your research now did ya? You got me out of there, now send me back. I'm not telling you a damn thing." Squall put his pen down and rubbed his face. "It wasn't _my _idea to bring you out of there…you can thank Quistis on this, I'm just responsible for you."

"_Responsible_ for me?" Seifer sneered at his rival, the words coming out like poison.

"As long as you're not in there, you have free roam of the Garden. You can eat, sleep and even train whenever you feel like. In return, you give us what little information you have on them."

"I don't think so. Not if it means that when you're done, I'm back under Kozeransk's care."

"I would make it a permanent agreement if you help us." Squall looked up, raising an eyebrow. "They found no evidence linking you to the murders of Cradd, Picklen and Burlong. But they needed someone to push the blame on. Yeah, you did try to kill Fury Caraway, but you didn't even harm the guy. You ended up shooting his bodyguard. A stupid move on your part, they ended up throwing it all on you because of that. My question is, Seifer, why? Why did you even do all of this in the first place?" Squall stared Seifer down, the motive behind his question in malice. To his disappointment, Seifer didn't speak. Instead he stood, pushing the chair in and turning towards the exit. Once the door shut quietly behind him, Zell and Quistis turned towards Squall.

"Weren't you a lot of help!" Zell huffed sarcastically. "I think you need to explain a few things to him, Squall. He needs time to think, but we can't just—" Squall sighed and stood, silencing his comrades. He had a reason behind his actions, but he needed to act alone. "I'll handle it."

* * *

Seifer wandered through the Training Center, unsure of why the Grat's weren't attacking. It was foolish to come unarmed, but he was sure if he came here it would clear his mind. But when he got there, something wasn't right. The sound of his boots echoed as he walked along the wooden planks over the pond. Everything about the Training Center was different, all the way down to the smell.

"Monsters are hard to come by these days."

Seifer spun around, watching Squall removing his leather jacket and resting it across a tree trunk. He carried with him a Gunblade case. "Three years ago, the Unified Council issued missions to each Garden requesting that they eliminate any and all species of monster. Right down to the very last Geezard. There are still a few monsters here and there, and we have a controlled supply of a few here but they're mostly locked up for training purposes for newer students."

The only sound between them was the roar of the waterfall.

Seifer shook his head, looking around. "So what good is this place then? The Council took away para-magic, junctions and now enemies? It's useless."

The sound of metal caught Seifer's attention as he spun around seeing Squall pull Seifer's Hyperion out of its own case. He didn't realize Squall brought it. Sheathed in its holster, Squall tossed the weapon to Seifer. "It has plenty uses, only more practical ones now." A small smile crept on Squall's lips.

Seifer strapped the weapon to his belt, the weight of the steel catching him off guard. "I don't have time to play games with you but thanks for returning my gunblade back to me." He turned on his heel, walking towards the exit. "Appreciate it."

"Seifer? Is that really you in there?" Squall chuckled, taunting him. "Never thought I'd see the day the mighty '_Fallen Sorceress' Knight_' would turn down a battle with his enemy."

"Don't ever call me that again." Seifer shot Squall a stern look, resting his hand on his holster as he walked away from the invitation. Squall's smile faded. Frustrated, he charged Seifer—shoving him against the stone wall. Seifer winced, holding onto his arm. A sharp branch jabbed him hard, the blood slowly seeped through the crisp white shirt. He looked up at Squall, stunned. "Ow!" His hand covered the wound. "That fucking hurt Squall—"

"Come on!" Squall drew his gunblade, taking a few steps back. "What happened? Forget how to fight?"

With a thirst for blood in Seifer's blue eyes, "Oh, you're gonna wish you hadn't, Leonhart." Swayed, Seifer drew Hyperion out of its sheath. He immediately began slashing, Squall quickly blocked and struck back. Their sword play was rapid, both equally parried and blocked. They hacked like lightning, constantly attacking one another. They were perfectly matched. As they fought, Seifer suddenly became aware of a strange sound over the noise of the waterfall—a low rumble. Then they both felt something—a vibration in the ground. "Stop." Squall steps backwards, putting his hand out. They looked around for the source of the noise, feeling it vibrate in their chests.

Suddenly, they watched as the large doors leading to the containment area for the monsters burst wide open. A snarling Ruby Dragon approached the two men, its teeth glinting in the light.

The Ruby Dragon, taking advantage of their momentary confusion, whipped his tail around and assaulted them brutally. It forced Squall back toward the wooden planks, knocking the wind out of him.

Seifer ducked and rolled forward. The dragon clawed for Seifer as he jumped backward, successfully evading it. He rolled to a different position, lifting his gunblade and slicing through one of its large wings. A piercing roar came from the dragon as Seifer pulled the sword straight through, going in for another attack. Squall charged the dragon, evading its fiery breath. The fight was hardly fair as another Ruby Dragon flew low overhead, blocking the exit.

Squall on the defensive, he began to slash at the dragon behind Seifer. "We need to put the Training Center on lockdown!"

"What's this 'we' talk? I think I might just leave you in here!" Seifer swung Hyperion at the Ruby Dragon, cutting its throat open. Its deep red blood gushed as it spilt to the floor. The dragon keeled over, groaning loudly. Its front feet kicked and flailed as it died a slow death. Seifer turned to Squall; blood from the dragon had sprayed across his shirt, leaving deep crimson stains, soaking into his clothes, his skin. He wiped away sweat and lunged at Squall. Without delay, Squall parried and spun around behind Seifer, kicking him to the ground. "What the hell are you doing?"

As the Ruby Dragon charged towards them, Seifer laughed, blood crazed. He felt a sensation running through his blood, pulsing down to his arms, his hands, his fingertips. Seifer and Squall resumed their battle, ignoring the fact the last Ruby Dragon was still alive. In a blinding series of clashes, Seifer forced Squall to parry repeatedly, leaving Seifer wide open. Squall lunged forward under Seifer's swinging gunblade and slammed into him. As they fell into the wall, Seifer's back hit the alarm trigger. Red lights flashed in the trees and walls of the Training Center, which had in turn, upset the Ruby Dragon. The ferocious roar of the dragon amplified over the sound of the wailing siren. "That thing is pissed, we need to leave!" Squall ordered at Seifer, who had a blank expression on his face. "Seifer?" Squall shook Seifer's shoulders, watching as the color of his eyes drained.

Seifer pushed Squall out of the way, his hands seared handprints into Squall's white shirt. Squall felt his skin being burned and jerked out of Seifer's grasp, watching as the disturbed blonde approached the monster without fear. He stopped in front of the beast, spun his gunblade and caught its hilt. He effortlessly dodged what attacks the dragon could hurl at him. Holding onto Hyperion tightly, Seifer charged toward the dragon, running it through and instantly separating the large beast. As its two very dead halves fell over, its body began to disintegrate with a white hue emitting from it. Seifer turned his back to the dragon, the pupils of his eyes fully dilated. He blinked slowly, staring at Squall. Not seeming to be able to register where he was, his hands released the remains of his former weapon. Hyperion was finished, severed in half and melted at the hilt.

Squall's eyes grew wide. "Your hands…"

Seifer looked down, noticing a black energy emitting from his fingertips. At that moment, he felt a shift in his body. He let out a groan that spoke of unparallel pain and collapsed onto his side. His heart pounded in his throat as his vision became blurred. Suddenly, he didn't see Squall standing over him, but Higgins. He was back in the jail cell, and he was writhing in pain. With his heart rate becoming more and more rapid, Seifer could feel the blood racing in his veins. His whole body jerked, his face tightened as Squall tried to hold him in place while he yelled orders to the SeeD officers running in to rescue.

Seifer's eyes glazed over, and he began to spasm, the searing pain running through his body almost unbearable. "Make it stop!" He managed to utter out when Quistis arrived with Tomé, his body a shivering spasm. "This is serious. It's worse than before…" Their voices echoed heavily as Seifer looked at Tomé. Their eyes locked as Seifer tried to turn his focus away from the surging pain.

Seifer felt his body being lifted and placed on a gurney. He did his best to stifle his spasms of agony, his body a quivering, coiled knot. Unable to communicate, Seifer made a few lost mumbles before his eyes rolled into the back of his head, his spine arching and his body seized. Blood started to drain from his nose when Tomé turned his head to the side. "His temperature…he's burning up! Let's move!" He felt his vision go again, his mind drifting away like a memory.

"_As the legend goes," Xu pressed a button on her desk, opening a hologram board full of her handwriting. She turned around to the class, taking a few steps forward. "That the Great Hyne was who created people and humankind. He created the planets, the moon, the stars and the world we live in today." She smiled to the class of forty students. "Is there anything else he created?"_

_Seifer hesitated, looking around the room for anyone else to answer. He raised his hand. _

"_Do you have the answer?" _

"_It's written on the board. Sorceresses, Monsters, he made all of it." He slumped lower in his chair, tired. _

_Xu smiled, tilting her head to the side. "Yes, but how?"_

_Seifer's tone was becoming irritated. He already gave her the answer, why the follow-up? "The power of embodiment. They pass throughout history by using this process. Anybody with the capacity of handling this power is a candidate."_

_Xu walked around the classroom as she spoke. "What happens when they don't have the capability of receiving their powers though?"_

"_They don't know. Dr. Odine keeps his work private." Seifer blinked. "Who's teaching the class Instructor, you or me?"_

_Loud whispers from the students throughout the large room enraged Xu. She hesitated before replying. With a sigh, she turned around, writing down more information on the board. "There hasn't been enough research to decipher what really happens to the power, but there are two outcomes. One, the candidate will accept the powers and become a sorceress. Two, if a candidate to the embodiment is resistant to the process, their energy is weakened to the point of a comatose state."_

Seifer's lashes fluttered and his eyes opened, the light on his face blinding him. Above him, a shadow passed in front of the light and he saw a silhouette of a young woman. "Seifer..." The voice echoed, distant. A cool hand touched his cheek. He smiled, his eyes fluttering slowly when he tried to focus. "I'm here baby, I'm here…"

"Nino…Is that you?"

The figure transformed into something more twisted and masculine. Its height grew and elongated the shadow, looming over him. Twisted tendrils and black chains whipped out and wrapped around Seifer's body, tightening. Seifer felt the strength of their grip and could no longer breathe, as the creature lifted him in the air, he caught a glimpse of something terrible, awful within the creature's eyes. The faceless figure drew him closer, and Seifer found himself enveloped by this creature's presence.

"Ỳ̸̶̸̡ou̷̴ ̷̡̢̕caņ ̢̡́s̶͠e̢̧͡͠n̷̛̛̛ş̨́ȩ͠ i t̵̶̸̛…c̕̕̕͢aǹ̵̨̨́'̸̢́t ̴̴ y̡̨̕ò̢̕͡u̵?̶̸̡̀͡ "

It was the sound of madness given a voice. It was the noise that drives a man to the brink of insanity and then pushes him over. The creature's voice was deafening Seifer to the point of making his teeth grind. When the voice spoke it was a series of different pitches and speeds and instantly Seifer's sight became blurry, his body tingled and felt frozen. The only other noise he could sense was the sound of his heart throbbing in his ears. Feelings of fear and helplessness coupled with an adrenaline surge which only served to amplify those feelings were enough to make Seifer wish for death.

The creature's black energy crept into Seifer's mouth, forcing him to lunge forward. He felt the air in his lungs being sucked out of his mouth from this unknown force. As everything grew white, the sound of a heart monitor snapped him back to reality.

"We have a pulse!"

The bright lights of the Infirmary's Emergency Care Room blinded Seifer. At first, he wasn't able to piece together where he was. When he did, it was immediately almost by instinct, he reacted as he had many times in the Department of Control. Seifer flung his arms and convulsed, trying to get away from the dark figures that hovered over him.

"Seifer….focus!" Squall's voice could be heard as his arms were put in restraints.

Their voices distorted, sounding as if he was underwater, he opened his eyes again to see Tomé. She was prying Seifer's mouth open. Tomé yelled to Seifer but her voice was broken up, distorted. She shoved a bite guard in Seifer's mouth. "Don't…move!" It was the only thing Seifer could understand. He felt awake but his body was turned off, up until he felt the gag reflex and heaved. A black bile poured out of his mouth and spilled onto the floor. Everyone except for Tomé took a step back, disgusted. The electronic voices stopped, and Seifer could finally hear. He gasped for air, his eyes focused. "Seifer! Blink twice if you understand me!"

Seifer complied, shutting his eyes tight once, twice. He struggled to breathe, his airway felt blocked with some type of sticky substance. Making a sharp inhale he coughed up the remaining goo in his throat, jerking his body to the edge of the bed to spit it out. Quistis groaned as she held the pan containing the unusual black matter.

"Everybody, step back." Tomé pulled a breathing mask over Seifer's mouth and batted everyone else away. She reached for a damp rag and dabbed it on his neck and around his mouth. Seifer groaned, looking around the room. His breath fogged the breathing mask as Tomé continued to hold onto it until Seifer reached up to take over.

"Temperature is dropping to normal degrees, Dr. Kadowaki."

Tomé nodded and kneeled down to Seifer's eye level. She watched as his pupils constricted, revealing a deep azure color. "I need you to tell me what you're feeling. Can you talk?"

"Am I dead?"

Tomé smiled, relieved to hear Seifer's humor. "No, you're not dead. Are you feeling any pain?"

"No…" His eyes looked to Squall, as he stepped forward, "Seifer, you sliced that dragon in half like it was nothing. How did you do that?" Squall's tone was frantic and impatient. "Are you junctioned? What did you feel? Do you remember?"

Tomé shot upright, turning to him and giving him a hard shove. "I've had it with you! I don't give a shit if you're playing Headmaster while Cid is gone, in here you are an annoyance now get the hell out of my O.R.!" Tomé pointed towards the door, angry with Squall.

"Tomé—its fine. I really do feel fine, ok?" Seifer slowly sat up, feeling the extent of his injuries from the battle. "I need to speak with him actually, if you don't mind." Tomé nodded and ushered the nurses out of the room. Zell and Quistis stood against the back wall, watching as Squall stood in front of him. Holding onto the breathing mask, Seifer looked up at Squall. "If I help you, I have some rules of my own. I'll tell you enough to get you on the right path, it should be enough to get you those guilty of trying to hurt Selphie. What you have on the Mireille's is nothing less than Geezard waste, if even that."

"Can you fix it?" Squall asked quietly.

"For the most part, I can, maybe." Seifer chuckled. "My first rule is that this bracelet on my ankle comes off. I don't like feeling like an animal." Squall shook his head. "You know I can't do that, Seifer."

"This was the only way that the Council would have agreed with your release." Quistis stepped forward. "Perhaps I can speak with Menelaus after a period of time to see if we can work something out. For now, we're bound by the contract to keep you in some form of supervision."

"Fine." Seifer nodded weakly. "If I do this, I don't want to be returned to Kozeransk's care. No more experiments, no more medication, no more tiny confined spaces and solitude. I want a clean slate on my record—at least pertaining to the crimes I was charged with."

"This seems fair." Quistis smiled.

"I also want find out what the fuck is wrong with me." Seifer's jaw clenched as he dredged up the horrific voice in his mind. All three nodded in agreement. Quistis reached toward the counter and handed Seifer a plain white t-shirt. "I'll speak with Menelaus and request for your amnesty and any documentation from the experiments your doctor was performing on you."

"I'm surprised you don't have those files." Seifer slid off the table, pulling out the IV tubes and slipped the shirt on. "Then again, I'm surprised I'm even here."

"Yeah, I know the feeling." Zell said absently, staring at the black fluid on the floor. "I'll walk you back to your room, man."

Seifer shot a glance at Zell. "This is for real, right? You're not just using me to get ahead…"

"Well, within reason, you can get whatever you want." Quistis tented her fingers. "This is of course if you can provide information that leads to an arrest in our case. If it all works out, then you've got a new lease on life." Seifer looked to Squall, who nodded in agreement with his associate. "Great… then I'll sleep on it." Seifer stepped out of the room, hardly phased by what had happened in the Training Center. Zell followed behind, leaving the door open for his comrades.

Squall put a finger to his lips directed at Quistis, a gesture to not talk about what happened until tomorrow. "The nurses need to clean up in here and it's getting late, let's call it a night." They waited until Seifer and Zell were well out of earshot and heading toward the dormitories before they started in the same direction. It was late, only a scattered few students remained in the Garden. Most of them were running laps, the others heading to their rooms.

Quistis took her hair down, the blonde locks framing her face as she turned to Squall, who walked in silence, as usual. "Are we just going to ignore the fact that Seifer flatlined and threw up black slime?" Quistis whispered loudly, holding in her frustration. "What about the fact we have a dissected Ruby Dragon in the Training Center? That thing is cut straight in half!"

Squall sighed, "Seifer isn't going to talk about it tonight, so we'll talk about it tomorrow." As they reached Quistis' room Squall finally spoke again. "This has to be from the injection he received before we picked him up. I need to do a follow-up and find out about that guard." Quistis nodded, unlocking her door. "I know it is! We all thought Zell was crazy believing all that tabloid garbage but maybe the reason why that soldier chewed his fingers off is because he was in the trial testing stages of what they gave—"

"Let's stop talking about work." Squall's sudden reply stunned Quistis. She didn't realize that they were standing inside her unit until he closed the door. "Well, okay. What do you want to talk about then?" Squall's hands gently brushed the hair away from her neck. "Who said anything about talking?" He leaned forward, planting small kisses on her collarbone. Quistis exhaled, a small smile playing on her face as his hands ran up her blouse. "Have you talked to Seifer about the journal?" Before Quistis realized, Squall had slid his hands down to her thighs and dragged his hands back up, stopping at the curve of her ass. His fingers curled and held onto her, pulling her forward. Pressing her slender body tightly against his, he captured her parted lips in a long and passionate kiss. Instinctively Quistis raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck, trying in vain to force his lips down harder against her own.

Squall wasted no time. He swept Quistis up to carry her as her legs wrapped around his hips. His toned arms laid her gently on her back on the bed and climbed on top of her. As she fumbled with his belt and pants, Squall continued to kiss her neck while undoing the clasps of her black lace bra. Pulling her bra and shirt off at once, he went straight to her breasts, kissing and gently nipping at her hardening pink nipples.

She exhaled, drawing in a sharp breath when Squall's tongue flicked over the nub. Her hands managed to pull off his belt and undo his pants, and as he leaned against her, she was pleased to find his cock was stiff.

Squall's lips drifted down to her stomach, his hands still manipulating her breasts as his teeth gently nibbled at her abdomen. His fingers left her breasts to hook onto the fabric of her wet panties, slowly sliding them down her legs and tossing them onto the floor. He looked at the blonde bombshell with pale blue eyes, shooting her a look that solicited a 'how bad do you want it?' glance. With her body slowly grinding into the bed, Quistis nodded 'yes' as he planted small kisses on her hips, her bare bikini line and then finally his lips met with her swollen clitoris.

Quistis' lips formed a perfect 'o' as she moaned, her head burying into the pillow as Squall's tongue flickered across the nub. Her hands ran across her breasts as she spread her legs wider, hips moving and twitching as Squall's tongue moved lower, enjoying the taste of her juices.

"Squall!" She yelled out his name as he massaged her clit with his tongue with varying pace. He knew he did something right when Quistis shot a hand down and grabbed a fistful of his chocolate brown hair when his fingers entered her, massaging the velvety and tight walls in an in-out motion. It amplified the sensations, making her toes go numb.

His two fingers pushed into her faster as her hips rocked. He lifted his head, watching as Quistis' back arched, mewling incautiously. She uttered his name again and again, catching on that he would pick up the pace if she kept at it.

He took a final glance before moving his mouth back down between her thighs, working his tongue harder to elicit even more uninhibited moans from his lover. Her hips bucked and rocked, her breasts bounced as she moved, feeling the beginnings of an orgasm.

"S-Sq…uall!" Quistis' back arched upward as Squall lapped up the juices that flowed, his fingers still thrusting inward as she pulsed with waves of pleasure down her body. Her elbows supported her body as she felt the waves hit her harder and harder. She let out a cry, finally relaxing when Squall's mouth parted from her tender clit.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he quickly climbed on top of her, his lips fixed into an accomplished smile.

Quistis moaned softly as she kissed his lips, tasting herself on him. The residual glossy feeling made her tongue glide all over his mouth. She moaned into his kiss as he rubbed the head of his cock against her opening. In that instant Squall pushed inside of her, his strong arms holding her to his body as his hips pushed in further. He leaned back, pulling Quistis with him until she was sitting on top. Her body trembled as his cock pumped into her. Her hips rocked in sync with Squall, causing him to moan almost as loud as she was. Quistis planted her hands on his chest, causing him to break his concentration and lay still as she rode him, her pace quickening as he drew in hitching breaths. "You're…so…" He said between breaths, his hands gripping onto her ass, pulling her down harder onto his cock.

If there was anything Quistis admired more about Squall, it would have been how sexy he looked right before orgasm. His lips parted as his head rolled back onto the mattress, back arching seductively as Quistis coaxed a series of little groans from his parted lips. His breathing became more and more hitched; his grip on her ass became tighter.

"Fuck!" Squall lurched forward, his hands gripped onto Quistis' body as he felt himself releasing into her. His head buried into her neck, breathing out hot air as Quistis' nails dragged across his shoulder blades, feeling his cock pulsate and the hot liquid coating her walls as he came.

Afterward, Squall slumped onto his back, still inside of Quistis. She fell forward onto his chest, breathing heavily with him as the mutual high they shared lingered. Quistis closed her eyes, her fingers playing with his as they lay in silence for a long while. This wasn't the first time they had had sex, but this wasn't an entirely old experience either. Quistis wanted to just make the best of it, and enjoyed the sound of Squall's heartbeat, the feeling of his washboard abs across her hand, and the even breathing Squall kept until she drifted to sleep.

* * *

Seifer rolled onto his back, the bed sheet tangled in his long legs. He sat up, unable to sleep. He checked the phone he was given, checking the time._ 4:41. Shit, it's been three hours…why can't I sleep?_ His body ached, his muscles felt like they had a workout of a lifetime. He looked down at his fingertips, still unsure of what had happened in the Training Center. Any theories he had were pushed out of his mind quick when the vision of the creature lingered in the back of his mind. Seifer didn't want to even acknowledge this new power that was forced onto him. The thoughts brought back the gut-wrenching feeling he had earlier.

Climbing out of the bed, he stood in the doorway, gazing at the boxes. He picked one up, setting it on the counter. Inside the box revealed old clothes, books and all the old treasures Seifer kept when he was in Garden. He felt silly still holding onto a lot of the items, like the results of his first written SeeD exam.

A knock came from his door and he quickly closed the box, setting it back with the pile. He went to answer the door to find Squall, his hair disheveled as much as the rest of his clothes. Seifer stood shamelessly in his pajama bottoms, smirking. "What's with the late night visit?"

"I have something I need to give you."

"I'm too old for goodnight kisses Squall, and bedtime stories are for babies." Squall scowled, handing him the red journal. Seifer held it tightly to his stomach. He swallowed, suddenly feeling scared. "How did you get this?" Squall pushed his rival aside, inviting himself in. "Matron asked me to hold onto it. She…she's dying, Seifer." Squall crossed his arms, sitting on the stool by the counter. "I know." Seifer flipped through the journal. His voice grew quiet as he sat down across from Squall. "She wrote to me when she realized I wasn't getting out of the Department of Control. In return, I asked one of the guards to mail out my journal. I didn't expect to see it again." Seifer rubbed his thumb on the spine. "You read it." Squall cleared his throat. He felt uneasy. "What is your relationship with Nino Mireille?"

Seifer looked at Squall, his eyebrow raised. With an even keel, he lied. "She's nobody."

"You mentioned her a lot in that book."

Seifer knew he couldn't talk his way out of this one. He bit his lip, trying to think of a way around the truth. "Ultimecia possessed Matron, and she brainwashed me." Seifer sat on the countertop, facing Squall. "She knew she needed help, and recruited the families. I guess you can say I got a little close with her." He blinked, looking to the ground. "She betrayed me in the end. I don't have anything to do with her. So…" Seifer held his hand out. "She's nobody."

"If she's nobody then why protect her?" Seifer stood, obviously frustrated. "What is this—an interrogation?" Just as soon as Seifer finished his sentence Squall's phone lit up on the counter's surface. The vibration made a grinding noise across the countertop until Squall answered.

"This is Headmaster Leonhart." He stood, a hand moving to the back of his neck. Seifer stood in uncomfortable silence, waiting for Squall to respond. "And it happened _when_?" He looked at Seifer, motioning for a pen and paper. "…What about casualties?"

Squall scribbled down a message and returned to his phone call. Seifer looked at the paper, then up at Squall, puzzled. "What the hell is…a '_206 in Monterosa_?"

"You have Garden's support. I will work on dispatching a team immediate—oh? You think so…" Squall's eyes went to Seifer, squinting. "Yes…thank you for the information." Squall ended the call, never taking his eyes off of Seifer.

"What happened?"

"Get dressed; you and I are finishing this conversation but right now you need to be in Monterosa. We'll rendezvous in the lobby in fifteen minutes." Squall rushed out the door, closing it with a slam.


	8. Contact

**Disclaimer:** _As much as I think it'd be awesome, I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, it's characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction.  
_This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consensual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

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_Report Summary_  
_The Mireille Syndicate is a widely known Consortium that is currently thriving in Galbadia. Branches of the organization have been spotted in surrounding regions as Monterosa, Dollet and rumored to be starting a branch in Esthar._  
_Centran-based, they communicate through the dead language of their ancestors to throw off interceptions. This makes it difficult to translate when so few of our current Garden Students and Officers do not understand the structure. We are only able to detect certain words and phrases at this current time._  
_Loyal to their boss Keim Mireille, these members are willing to die for the crimes they commit. They gain revenue in criminal activities such as drug and potions trafficking, larceny, extortion, money laundering, murder, pandering, racketeering, assault, kidnapping and human and arms trafficking._  
_Keim Mireille's closest members are classified as assassins, carrying out any contract that has been made through various unknown contacts..._

Seifer closed the folder, tired of reading over the meticulous summary report Squall had issued before he left. The four page document hardly scratched the surface, but it was enough to get them on the right track. Seifer tried to tell himself that he was doing the right thing, trying to push out the feelings of betrayal to Nino. Stuffing the documents in his black messenger bag, he sat quietly in the airship with Zell and three other SeeD members, impatiently waiting for it to land.

"The transmission is ready." The pilot announced before turning on the screen at the back of the ship.

Xu's voice came from a flat screen wall panel. _"At 0600 hours there were a series of explosions in downtown Timber similar to the ones that have been reported in Malgo, Hasberry, Roshfall and Monterosa. We've estimated that the death toll for these fires have nearly reached into the hundreds." _The images on the panel showed a map of Timber, pointing at the area damaged. _"The difference with this attack is that the explosions happened on a train passing by the area. They detonated, knocking the train off track and destroying the buildings. There is theory that the buildings were rigged also, but thankfully Galbadia has finally decided to recruit a selected team to investigate. In Timber, buildings that were destroyed included Hamptons Supplies, Timber Hotel and the Timber Weapons shop. You will arrive outside the city border. Squad D will secure the area. Squad A, assess with caution. Examine the damage, collect data and don't get in the way of search and rescue. Be careful." _

It had been three months since he had first arrived in Balamb Garden, and since then there had been a series of terrorist attacks in small secluded cities in Galbadia. A few cities were newly established but there were many who expanded such as Monterosa, which was rapidly growing, nearly over the scale of Dollet's expansion.

Seifer leaned his head back against the glass window, the air vent above him blowing on him. He glanced up; the swept bangs he had styled earlier blocked the view of the window behind him. Seifer leaned forward, meticulous about the style of his hair. He didn't agree with the cut, but it _was_ stylish and manageable. His fingers ran through the blonde trusses, trying to fix it to a messy look.

_I will never let Quistis and Tomé style my hair. Ever. Again. _

Out of Seifer's team, Barton was the first to speak. "Yeah, about time we got the call…my girl's got family in Roshfall village…these sick bastards are lucky that they weren't harmed."

Barton stood tall at 6'5, his black hair was cut short, styled in textured messy spikes he had an attitude of someone who was itching to pick a fight with anybody. An Attack Magic Operative and Gunblade Specialist from Galbadia, he was one of the first chosen for the mission. At twenty-four, he wore his dog-tags on the outside, proudly showing them off. Not many SeeD members did anymore; instead they wore the silver plate bracelet issued for more covert missions.

"I reckon we oughta catch someone soon. All this runnin' around—its'gotta stop, yo."

The blonde in the cowboy hat caught Seifer's eye and he glanced over, watching as this young man kicked his feet up next to Seifer's own. This was Thatcher, or, Thatch for short—as he put it. He was the free spirit and the gunner of the group. As he ran his fingers through his mussed layered blonde locks and tipped the hat back on his head. Seifer couldn't stand Thatch for the fact that he always ran his mouth. Any time there was silence in the airship; Thatch would find a way to ruin it. "Y'know, I betcha it ain't as bad as they're makin' it out to be. Galbadia Garden just don't wanna get their prissy hands dirty."

"Watch it kid," Barton kicked the middle bar in the center of the floor where their feet rested. "My father became the man he is now because of this country. Don't talk shit."

"Apologies friend, I forgot that we got stuck with Martine's only son." Thatch smirked coyly, nudging Seifer. "At least I ain't no reject from Trabia _or_ a recovering psychopath." Barton grinned, his eyes on Seifer. "Tell me, Almasy, you think its fair they let you go free after killin' those people?" Seifer bit the side of his cheek.

His hand rested on the hilt of his new weapon. The damage Hyperion took killing that dragon was irreparable. Zell had taken what was left of the weapon and reused it to fashion a new blade. This smaller, detachable blade was surprisingly light, fused with Adamantine and held a black matte polish when it hit the light. The gun itself was the same, fashioned with a new hilt. The blade was designed to detach from the gun, giving Seifer the ability to use the firearm in long-range combat.

Barton sneered, throwing his hand to Seifer in insult. "Stop staring at me, freak."

"You're right, B. It's not fair to your boyfriend if I'm…_undressing you_ _with my eyes_…" Seifer's lips curled into a cloying smirk, watching Barton closely. The gunblade's cold steel was refreshing to Seifer's heated hands. The statement pushed a laugh so loud out of Thatcher's throat it echoed throughout the enclosure.

Barton joined in Thatcher's laughing, shaking his head as his voice grew low. "I honestly can't wait to catch that little assassin of yours. Tell me, do you think she can handle a gangbang during the riot seasons in the Department of Control?"

There was no way Seifer could take Barton on in a cramped enclosure like they were stuck in, but he could only imagine. Instead of slicing Barton's head clean off, he fastened the snap buttons on the sides of his leather jacket sleeve. Their eyes never broke apart from each other's. He watched Zell walk by him, heading towards the cockpit. "Knock it off or I'll dock your pay for this mission." They sat in silence, which was fine with Seifer. He was tired of hearing Thatch talk about Trabia, and his family, his friends, his pooch Thunder…

Thatch finally grew tired of the silence and turned to look at Archelaus, his cowboy hat tilting to the side. "So, Arc, got anything to add to our conversation?"

The twenty-one year old's blue eyes shifted from the window he gazed upon over to Seifer and Thatcher. His hair buzzed short, standard Garden style cut. His clothes were neatly pressed and looked as though he had never wrinkled them before in his life. Arc glanced at his comrades; looking almost regretful as he registered Thatcher had been speaking to him. To Seifer, he seemed to have a cavalier _"I don't give a damn"_ attitude. He cleared his throat, looking up at Zell. "Any word yet on the severity of damage?"

"You know protocol; they always wait until we arrive to tell us!" Zell replied.

"We're about to land! Better get the rest of the team ready!"

"All right everyone! You heard Nida!" Zell held onto the safety bars overhead, moving to his seat as the airship dropped. He sat next to Seifer, reaching under the seat for his pack. "This is the first time we've been dispatched to a 006, what's the significance?" Seifer asked when Zell sat back up. "Squall thinks there's a connection between the attacks and the Mireille's doesn't he?" Zell kept his head forward, his lips pursing slightly. "Squad A! Make sure that you are attentive! Don't miss any clues as to what happened here tonight! Return back to the airship at 0800 hours!" Zell addressed the team and released the switch to open the door, jumping out once the airship stopped.

All Seifer could see from where he sat was a hue of fiery orange. He stood, allowing his teammates to exit before him. When he stepped off the platform, Seifer was greeted with a scene of total destruction. What was once a busy Timber street was now a riddled mess of broken buildings, fire, and debris.

"Looks like the locals got this handled. Let's get to work!" Thatch shrugged and took off, walking with Barton.

Seifer's phone lit up, signifying a new email from Squall:

_Seifer – your personal assignment here is to interview the victims, find out if they saw anyone. In Monterosa, a local farmer noticed he saw a female running along the rooftops after parts of the city were burned. If the records are correct, then we can only suspect Nino Mireille is the one that was identified. Find out more and report back to me in private. _

_Additionally, make sure to document anything you come across that could be viable to the Mireille case. For the sake of confidentiality, let's try to keep it from the rest of the team should you stumble across anything. _

Seifer slid the phone sideways, revealing a keypad.

_Squall – Noted. Anything else that I come across or anybody I interview will be photographed and sent in immediately._

Nino awoke with rapid gasps, unaware of her surroundings as her eyes darted about. Once her thoughts collected, she scrambled to her feet. Relieved she was still on the roof, alive; her heart quickly sank as she approached the edge of the building and looked down, regretfully knowing what she would find. Her eyes saw the extent of the damage from the bombing attack. She was too late. "No, no no!" The very words choked her. Bloodied hands went to her lips as she fell to her knees.

Looks of pain, shock and terror perfectly distilled into the features of the people below drove her to hysterics. She had caused this. The people below were either in shock or searching for lost loved ones. All of this pain rested at her family's feet. The smell of blood, dust and death filled the air and clogged Nino's lungs. She choked back a sob when she saw a child crushed underneath the rubble, all that could be seen was a small tiny arm, a blue ribbon tied around the wrist. Various Aid personnel ran around asking victims if they had been treated or if they needed anything.

_I could've stopped this…I was too late…_

Nino threw herself forward as she cried. Tears soaked her cheeks as she forced herself to stare at the extent of the damage. The fires still burned bright as the people below did what they could to put them out. Sparks from the telephone wires zapped and terrified the people below as Medics and Police rushed them to a safer area. The train that derailed wiped out most of the storefronts, rubble still continued to fall even hours after the mess.

Feeling weak from the explosion, she collapsed, letting out a sharp cry. She looked down, a piece of metal jabbed into her side. Her teeth clenched as she pulled it out, it's sharp edge jagged and bloody. Her fingers shook as she tossed it down and covered the wound. She quickly reached into her pocket, pulling out a small glowing bottle. It's blue hue emitting a cooling relief. Nino drank its sweet liquid quick, feeling the relief almost instantly. The Hi-Potion did its magic and quickly sealed the wound with fresh skin. She daubed the area with what was left in the potion bottle, the blood smearing away and the liquid soaking into the wound. She took a deep breath, looking around her.

_Nino, you have to get up… you have to keep moving… Lux is waiting for you in Balamb._

She urged herself to stand, feeling more pain for the people below than for herself. Ash and embers floated around her, swirling as the wind picked up.

"There you are my little pretty, pretty." Hearing the noise of a gun click, she knew who was behind her. "Why? Why did you do all of this?" Her voice cracked, refusing to look the dark figure in the eye. "You're right, it is a bit much. But causing a scene this big has its rewards. While distracting everybody, do you know how easy it's been picking off members of the Council? Not only that, but we were able to draw you out of hiding." The gun barrel dug into the back of her head. She could feel it practically burning a hole into her skull. "You know the rules…there's only one way to leave the Syndicate. And it's not by _lying_ to your family and running away." Nino knew he was talking about her mission in Trabia. The corners of Nino's lips curled up into a sly smirk. She turned, looking at her captor.

Torrin's gloved hand trailed down Nino's left arm, stopping at her hidden blade. Her jaw clenched tight in resentment when he roughly grabbed onto her arm, dragging her away from her perch. Nearly tripping on her own feet, Nino jerked her arm in an attempt to break free. "Why don't you just kill me now?"

"That would be too easy. Your father has some interesting plans for your future."

Nino had finally had enough. In a flash Nino was standing in front of him, her hand against his abdomen, her retractable blade buried deep inside of his ribcage.

"Stupid…" He exhaled, containing his pain within him. Bloody fingers went to her neck as he tried to push her away, his strength weakening with each second that passed. She buried the blade deeper and twisted, eliciting a groan from Torrin's throat.

"I'm _never_ going back to that life. This is _my_ story, and this is where I leave you behind me." Torrin smiled wickedly. "Such skill and value, your story will not remain yours for long, I promise you." Nino retracted the blade with a flick of her wrist, shoving him to the ground. As she looked up, Urvo and Keim were standing at the edge of the building with two other members of the syndicate.

"You've made a big mistake, Ninnoka." Her father threatened.

"No. You have." Only one word looped through her mind. _Run. _She didn't hesitate. Turning on her heel, she began to run opposite of the group.

"Bring her back. I want her breathing when she gets here." Keim ordered, motioning for his two soldiers to make chase.

Nino never had an issue evading capture, but in the smoke filled sky, her parkour-style movements left her at a blind drawback. Using the elements around her, she used walls, railings, pillars—anything she could use for her advantage of moving fast. Nino leapt across a narrow alley in between houses, sprinting for her life. She ran over to the edge, looking down over the parapet.

Nearly falling over, she caught a glimpse of a ghost. The street below, clogged with civilians and SeeD officers, she watched Seifer speak with a victim of the explosion.

He glanced up, stopping mid-sentence—almost as shocked as she was.

_He's here? In Timber?_

Nino didn't have time; she told herself she would find him later. Hearing her assailants growing closer, she began to search for an alternative route. Nino jumped onto a cable rope hanging from a taller business building, sliding down to the platform below.

She ran along the wooden platforms, jumping and climbing until she reached another narrow alley. Winding elusively through the shadows, she watched as the soldiers jumped across more buildings above her. A large sigh of relief came from her throat; then her breath, rapid and shallow finally slowed to normal. Her head pounded, her body ached. She slid downwards against the stone wall, tucked away behind a stack of crates.

The sky cracked open, and the rain battered down. Nino, soaked to the bone, waited under the scant shelter of the crates, waiting for her chance to escape. Shivering, her body gave in to her exhaustion and she began to close her eyes. Before she could find respite in sleep she heard footsteps down the alley while thunder rolled overhead. She peered through the slits in the crate next to her, watching Seifer jog down the flooding alley.

"I'm over here!"

Seifer turned to see Nino step out from behind the crates, limping in pain. He threw his hand in the direction of the explosion. "Did you do this?" Nino shook her head, distant. "I promise—I didn't." She continued to walk, her expression almost in disbelief. They were a foot apart, both nervous. Nino stood uncertainly, soaked to the skin, her hair and clothes clung onto her body.

"What are you doing here?" She managed to speak without her teeth chattering.

"Who was chasing…you?" Seifer exhaled, winded from chasing after her. "If you didn't cause this, who did?" The streetlamp at the corner of the alley gave off a cold blue light, bathing Nino's skin. As she looked up, tears ran down her cheeks, mixing with the rain. Seifer's firm tone dropped, and in an instant, his hand moved up to her flushed cheek. "Nino…what's happened?"

"The day I visited you, I never returned home. I fled to the Roshfall forest, Raulny Canyons, Monterosa…I was trying to stop them. My father wants to kill the representatives of the Unified Council!" Her voice became quiet, reserved. "They followed me so I came to Timber—but they found me here and…" She choked a sob. "Seifer, I didn't—"

Seifer took her face in his hands, looking into her eyes. His long arms pulled her closer, in a tight embrace as she cried into his grey t-shirt. He pressed his cheek to her wet hair, rocking her from side to side. A small smile appeared on his lips, feeling a rush of energy when her hands ran along the back of his soaked leather jacket, clutching him against her. The smile faded when he felt the vibration in his inner jacket pocket. The jingle rang loudly as he pulled it out, reading the response. His face filled with alarm and disappointment, he read that it was time to regroup. "I have to go."

Nino, trembling, desperately clung to Seifer as her eyes filled with tears. She let out a startled cry when Seifer took a step back. "No!—Come with me!" She reached for his arm, pulling him back toward her. The desperation in her voice made Seifer cringe, but the look on her face was terrified, fearful and anxious.

"I can't. I want to but I just _physically_ can't." He tilted his head to the ankle bracelet, concealed in his dark blue jeans. For a few seconds, he simply gazed at her features. He noticed as her hair fell to her face in large wet locks. They stuck to her cheeks, slowly sliding away when she pulled him back toward her. The light in her eyes was there once again and Seifer couldn't resist. He looked into those seas of jade and kissed her full on the mouth. Nino kissed him deeply in return, giving into the moment while her fingers ran along the back of his head, grasping to the short hairs.

Their foreheads pressed against each others, Seifer's lips parted as he breathed her in. Her scent was complex—magnolia, honeysuckle, nectar, sandalwood and more captivated his senses.

"They released me so I could help them capture you for the assassination attempt on Selphie Tilmitt. Then they want me to help them go after your family."

Another roll of thunder scattered across the sky. The rain was pouring steady, thick. Nino's eyes looked down to Seifer's as he held a tight hold on her wrists, his fingers wrapping around entirely to form a restraint. She found herself breathless as she looked up to Seifer. She shook her head, pulling away. To Nino's surprise, Seifer released his grip, holding his hands out.

"Promise me something." Seifer removed his leather jacket and covered her shivering arms. "In two weeks, come to Balamb. I will find you. They won't do anything to harm you, Nino. But I need you to give me time to convince them." He took her nodding as an answer and turned to leave. Nino stopped him a last time, reaching into her pocket, pulling out a folded envelope. She stuffed it into Seifer's hands. "This is the list of every person they're being hired to kill." She paused, trying not to let it show she was freezing. "I want to stop them. They're trying to start a revolution." She slipped the jacket off and tossed it to its owner. Seifer's presence was like a drug to her, and she hated him for it. Regrouping her mind, she pointed to the envelope. "It also has a few names of the people who hired my father's group but I don't recognize any of them."

Seifer planted a kiss on her lips before he left, sprinting down the alley as he slipped his jacket back on. As he turned the corner, he watched a flare shoot up in the early morning sky, a signal indicating that they could clear out. Heading back to the airship, he rejoined the team. Zell flagged him down, standing underneath an awning across the street. As he hurried over Arc walked next to Seifer, his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "I _suppose_ you could say it's a gift from Leviathan…" It was obvious he was angry about something. With Arc, there was no indication.

The rain had stopped, but the lightning still remained. Now the smoke had started to clear up, he could see the TV Station in the distance, illuminated by its surrounding lights. News was being broadcasted on the large screen. Seifer could remember a time when he was with Rinoa. He had promised that they would live together in Timber, but he quickly changed his mind after spending his winter vacation with the Timber Owls. The constant noise of the town drove him insane. He was used to the quietness of Balamb, and its inhabitants.

They climbed inside the airship, waiting for Zell and the rest of the team to return. When Seifer sat down, the envelope Nino gave him fell out in the seat next to him.

Arc immediately picked it up, handing it to Seifer. "Something you found at the scene?"

"Personal effects." Seifer stuffed the beat up envelope back in his jacket pocket and reached for the safety straps, feeling the ship's engines warming up.

"This wouldn't be so devastating had we been allowed to keep our G.F's and Magic. I hope this tragedy will help the Council change their minds. They reported that the death toll was at least a dozen. Over fifty injured...unbelievable." Zell was speaking over a phone, giving his report. Seifer assumed it was Squall he was speaking with, amazed that technology was advancing faster than he could realize.

He peered out his window again, gazing at the smoldering pit that had ever so recently been a city. Most of the victims had been relocated, some still sat on medical stretchers, some lying on the ground with white sheets over them. He balled his hands in a fist, making it a personal objective to convince Squall to help Nino. No matter the consequences.


	9. A Dereliction of Duty

**Disclaimer:** _As much as I think it'd be awesome, I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, it's characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction.  
_This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consensual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

Author's Note: We are getting close to the end of the first part. Please, if you have even just a few things to say, I would greatly appreciate them! Reviews are what fuel me to post online, and I'd really love it if I heard back to see what everyone thinks!

Warning: This chapter contains Explicit Sexual Material!

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Seifer lay on his back, eyes wide open. Too distracted to sleep, he had nothing better to do than to think. The room was dark; the only light came from the lampposts outside and the blue led light on his ankle bracelet—something he had a hard time sleeping with already.

The rain trickled down the windows over his bed. He smiled sadly—the Timber storm had followed him home. He moved a hand over his bare chest, resting on his abdomen. Fingers trailed across his navel, to the hem of his pajama bottoms.

He thought of Nino, replaying their kiss over and over in his mind. The way she looked so frightened, yet relieved to see him. She had changed over the past four years. To Seifer, it was a completely different person. It was strange. Nino had acted as if they hadn't had their fight. It worried him that she was on her own— Nino was never the type who could stand alone. She always needed someone to hold her clumsy hand. He wondered if maybe she had grown up since they were together. It was hard to let her go on her own. He wondered if he should've gone with her, he wondered if she would've come with him if he had asked. Did he regret it? Should he have brought her back to the airship? How would the rest of his team have reacted?

The longing feeling in his stomach forced him to look to the side table. Underneath his phone lay the information Nino passed to him. It had been crinkled from the rain, its form marred from the abuse of the storm.

_So many names are on that list. So many men and women who don't deserve death. And so very few who do. _

His mind was drawn back to Nino, her body drenched from the rain, her long brown hair in a wavy mess. The way she looked to Seifer like a lost child, the way she created this sick feeling in his chest when he thought of her out there alone. Seifer knew deep down she was more than a stupid naïve child. Nino was a killer but would never stand a chance against her own family.

_She's going to end up dead before she reaches Balamb. Maybe I can use the contents of the envelope to buy her freedom…maybe Leonhart will let her stay if she helps us… _

He pushed worrying thoughts outside his mind, suddenly remembering her cold words in the prison.

"…_You're not facing the reality of it all!"_

She was right. The reality of it, for Seifer, was that she _was_ a killer, disguised in naivety. Squall made it perfectly clear that he wouldn't make exceptions for anyone of the Mireille's, why would he grant her safety?

His thoughts were interrupted when the sound of a keycard slid through his lock. He heard the confirming pinging noise and the sound of the door opening quietly. Sitting up carefully, he leaned over his bed, unable to see who it was. The dark figure stopped just in the doorway. The only thing revealed in the shadows was a pair of naked feet.

"Do you remember the very first day we met?" It was Tomé. She stepped forward, her hair down and stringy, as if she had been standing in the rain. Showing through the bluish grey hue of the bedroom, Seifer could see her face was red and wet with tears. "Do you, Seifer?"

Seifer sat up completely, alarmed at her disheveled form. He nodded absently, his face fixed in a worried stare.

Tomé swallowed, "You remind me of my husband. He died…exactly four years ago. The way you smile, the way your eyes look when you concentrate. It's uncanny. But you could have been his twin."

Seifer tossed his legs over the bed, standing. He kept his distance, but Tomé carefully closed the gap between them. Dreamily, she placed a hand on his shoulder. Sometimes, I wish you _were_ him. Sometimes, I just wish… "

Their proximity was almost too intimate for Seifer's liking. Though they were developing a strong friendship, Seifer felt uncomfortable. Tomé smiled sadly, taking his face in her hands. Seifer could smell liquor on her breath. "Just once I need to feel like he's here with me again." Still trying to make sense of the whole thing, Seifer made an attempt to look away, nervous about the consequences. He found Tomé to be very attractive, but he knew he would hurt her emotionally. The glaze over her eyes and the way she stood gave away that she was drunk, but sober enough to make her way to Seifer's room for a nightcap.

Tomé gently pulled his face around, so that he could no longer avoid her gaze. "Seifer, I need you to love me, for just one night." She planted a soft kiss on his mouth. Unsure of how to act, he stood motionless and had no choice but to allow it to happen. He liked Tomé, but he never thought she'd be standing in his bedroom wanting to fuck him.

With his thoughts collected, Seifer gently stepped away. "I'm sorry but I can't do this. I'm not your husband…I'm the guy that women hate. I'm that guy who leaves and never calls." His hands went to her arms, reassuring his words. "Tomé, I can't give you what you need because I'm not him. If you sleep with me, you're not going to have him—you're gonna have me."

"Seifer; I just want one night of comfort, not a relationship." She smiled sadly, her hands brushing the hair from her face. "Just one night of intimacy, you and me, right now. Please Seifer, I need this."

"But you're drunk."

"Just a bottle of Sylkis…"

Seifer blinked, still trying to think. His eyes darted around the room, finally stopping on Tomé, his eyes decidedly absolute. "You're sure?" He spoke firmly as she rubbed the back of his neck. Tomé approached again, looking into his eyes as he stared at her shoulder. "It would do us both good to get this tension out of our bodies."

Seifer's eyes darted to hers as she lifted his hands to her shoulders. He drew in a breath before removing the blue satin robe she wore, gently pulling it off her shoulders and letting it fall to the ground. Removing it revealed a floor length camisole, dark grey in color.

Tomé pushed Seifer gently back onto the bed, pulling down his pajama bottoms as he fell back. She joined him, hitching up her delicate garment as she straddled him; her nightgown enveloping the lower half of his naked body.

Seifer felt his body responding to Tomé's motions, feeling the blood leaving his head in a rapid pace. Soon he was lightheaded from the lack of blood and before he realized it, his hands were reaching underneath the gown, lifting it over her slim body and tossing it onto the floor. Tomé's gaze met his and she smiled sheepishly, her hands pressing on his chest. He leaned forward, cupping one of her breasts and kissing it softly. Tomé's skin was on pins and needles. She hadn't had a man give her this kind of attention in years. She moaned softly when she felt his tongue on her hardened nipple, but made a noise in protest when he stopped.

Seifer pulled her face to his and kissed her deeply while her hands moved down to his pelvis, then to his erect cock. He sharply bit down on her lip when she began to stroke him. Her fingers tightened around his member as she alternated pace. She whispered hotly, "Lay down…" and Seifer obliged in obedience. His hips moved with each stroke, which caused her body to rock in motion. He studied her features in the back of his mind, realizing that Tomé was beautiful without even trying. Bathed in the moonlight, Tomé looked like a goddess, her long blonde hair flowing around her in infrequent curls. He never had a taste for blondes, but this woman was definitely an exemption to his high standards.

"Tomé…" Seifer swallowed, having difficulty speaking. The pleasure she was causing Seifer drove him stupid. His hands went to his face, trying to work the blood back into his head as he rubbed his cheeks. He didn't feel much for Tomé emotionally, but he knew that Tomé was aware of what she was doing and he loved it. Seifer felt a little embarrassed, feeling the verges of an orgasm so early. He blamed his crippled sex life, the last time he had had a release being years ago. His hands weakly went to hers as he pulled her close to thanking her in a deep kiss. He moved on top of her, feeling as if electricity flowed through him. He felt energized, alive, like as if someone had turned on the switch in his brain.

Seifer took a second to make sure this was what Tomé wanted. When she responded with a kiss, he guided himself, pushing gently inside her. He wore a modest smile as she sharply gasped, a faint moan escaping her lips when he penetrated her. Seifer couldn't help but respond with a similar expression. He had forgotten how it felt to be inside a woman, and it made him crave more.

Tomé's nails dug into his back as their Seifer's hips began to rock, her skin tingled as Seifer buried his face into her neck, inhaling and exhaling sharply, passionately. He planted gentle kisses along her neck, leading to her lips. His hands trailed along the curves of her body, her softly shaped waist and stopping at her breasts as he began to push into her harder.

Tomé pulled her lips away, holding his head in her hands as she watched his face. She admired his full lips, his squared jaw line, his eyebrows and the way they brought extra depth to the emotions he conveyed through those piercing blue eyes of his. Her hand moved up to trace his high and prevalent cheekbones. There was so much to Seifer she never realized, and yet there was so much that she almost couldn't see of Seifer, but of her past love.

"Oh yes! Harder!" She cooed, her hips moving along with Seifer's as they kissed another time. Liberated moans escaping from their lips as any remaining inhibitions flitted away with the sounds of their unreserved fervor. Seifer broke the kiss, watching Tomé as her head buried deep within his pillow and her back arching to line up along Seifer's taut stomach. He reached down for Tomé's hips, driving his cock in and out of her in a fluid motion. The tight walls around him contracted and pulsated as he fucked her harder. Tomé's tight fists gripped onto the sheets as she pulled them towards her head, her voice cracking as she screamed in bliss.

Unable to keep his contained any longer Seifer released inside of her, his body immediately pressed hard against hers. His muscles jolted in spasms as he continued to thrust hard with his lips on Tomé's. His heart thundered in his chest as he exhausted his movements, collapsing onto Tomé as she exhaled noisily, satisfied.

Seifer closed his eyes, his head between Tomé's breasts, arms wrapped around her body as she stroked his hair. Her skin was warm, soft. He hummed a sigh as he drifted, exhausted.

"Thank you." He heard Tomé whisper before his brain shut off completely, ready for sleep.

His vision was blurred as the rays of light blinded him when he woke the next morning. The alarm on his phone was exploding, its piercing tone rattling his ears. Seifer yawned as he switched the alarm to snooze and flopped over, burying his face into the pillow. He didn't care what time it was, it was too early for him to get up anyway. Even though he was a morning person, he found the energy to get up to reap havoc on Garden.

Images of Tomé flooded his mind and he turned to the other side of the bed, finally realizing she had left in the night.

_When did I fall asleep? God, how embarrassing…_

Exhausted, he stood, the sheet that had been covering him fell and he was left exposed to the cool breeze that crept in from the open window. Fall was coming and it was going to be cold soon.

No sooner than did he reach the dresser to get his briefs, his bedroom door swung wide open, following behind it was a shocked scream. "Oh!" Quistis averted her eyes, embarrassed. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know you slept naked!"

"Not usually,Instructor…but good job on crippling my sense of pride before breakfast." Seifer immediately slipped on his undergarment, his cheeks flushed from humiliation. "Wanna tell me why you're here?" Quistis took a quick glance making sure Seifer wasn't _completely_ naked. "Um…Squall wanted to see you in his office for your evaluation and mission report—I am really sorry Seifer!"

"Quistis, relax. If anything, consider it as a learning experience. Now you know what a real man looks like." Seifer grinned as he pulled on his jeans. "Trust me, I've seen _plenty_…" Catching herself in mid-sentence, the stammering Instructor then bit her lip. "Oh-ho! Really?" Seifer chuckled, now having something to hold against her. "So, ah…is that part of the Trepe Fan Club initiation? If so, count me in…" His fingers stretched to graze her arm as she grimaced. "You know I didn't mean _that_…"

"What _did_ you mean instructor?" He nudged her as he walked through the doorway into the kitchen. His cologne hit her as he passed, giving her goose bumps as she smelled the warm notes. Her smile faded when she noticed what appeared to be her camisole on the floor. Lifting it up, she realized it was slightly damp. "Seifer…" A tone crept over her voice.

"You need to learn how to tell when I'm making fun of you…" Seifer's head was in the cabinets, searching for something to eat. He wanted anything but cafeteria food. He couldn't stand the processed foods in the Quick Meal line.

"Did Tomé visit you last night?"

Seifer closed the cabinets, turning to face Quistis. He plainly shook his head. "No." She nodded absently, pulling the camisole from behind her and tossing it on the counter between them. Seifer stared at it.

"That's the nightgown Tomé borrowed from me. So, did she visit you last night?" She folded her arms, leaning against the wall.

Seifer folded his broad arms like Quistis had, the white henley he wore tightened around his chest. "She came by last night, yeah." Quistis gave him a look that told him to continue. "She was upset about her dead husband. She came by to talk about it, and she was soaked. I made her wear some of my clothes back to her room so she wouldn't get sick."

Quistis rolled her eyes, "Never really known you to be so sweet to a woman in distress."

Seifer reached into his fridge for a piece of fresh fruit native to Balamb: a shiny blue and yellow apple. He bit into it, holding the crisp produce in his mouth as he slipped his socks on. He knew that Quistis wasn't buying his story, but they seemed to have shared a mutual agreement to just drop the subject. Why would it be such a big deal? What business was it of hers? It was just sex—there wasn't anything between the two of them, and was there? Not really. Older women, even if by just a few years didn't appeal to Seifer—they never did.

Quistis waited at the door as Seifer slipped on a pair of black sneakers, easily managing to balance on one foot as he tied them. Fastening the buckle on his jeans, he followed out the door with his former Instructor. He ripped the apple out of his mouth, a large piece still between his teeth.

Quistis glared at him as he chewed noisily and the two of them walked towards the elevators. Her glare faded and transformed into a hidden smile when she watched as Seifer began to walk in greater strides, looking almost proud. Since he first arrived he had been somewhat introverted, contained. He was starting to fill out, muscles returning to their fit, slender form. His shoulders seemed to have been wider, which stretched the henley shirt he wore, making it fit to his form. Quistis felt embarrassed, taking notice in Seifer suddenly. She didn't know why, but she could hardly ever take her eyes off of him when it was just the two of them ever.

She shrugged off Seifer's animal magnetism and stepped inside the elevator in silence when they arrived. Quistis leaned over, whispering. "I won't say anything if you slept with Tomé, but please don't make it a continual thing…"

Seifer smiled, beginning to feel irritated. "We didn't sleep together though. She came by—that was it." He kept calm, staring at Quistis' reflection in the door.

They resumed their silence until the lift stopped at the top floor. Quistis was the first to walk out. A few steps later, she was followed by Seifer.

As they crossed the main doors to the lobby, Tomé stepped out of the Squall's office. She wore a grey pencil skirt, plum eyelet blouse and her signature lab coat.

Seifer smiled softly when he noticed that she let her hair down today.

"Good Morning, Quistis." Tomé greeted Quistis quietly. They conversed for a brief moment until Seifer began to get close.

"We'll talk more at lunch." Tomé began to walk towards the elevators, keeping her gaze forward until she reached Seifer. As she walked, she nodded a professional but friendly tone in her greeting. "Good morning, Seifer."

"Dr. Kadowaki." Seifer smiled, nodding his head.

As they crossed paths, Seifer inhaled her scent. The smell of fresh melon with hints of lime made him feel awake—it made him remember breathing that scent from hours earlier.

By the time the elevator doors closed, Quistis had already gone to her office. Seifer strolled down the hall, starting to feel nervous about his report. He wasn't sure if the envelope should even be mentioned, still gambling on the thought that maybe it could buy him time. He didn't realize that he was so nervous until he stood in front of the large red doors leading to his fate.

When he pulled on the handle, it wouldn't budge.

_That's right… the lock release…_

As Seifer approached the desk, Ryzia froze from her paper sorting. She watched him carefully with frightened eyes.

"Um, I'm here to see Squall?"

"Headmaster Leonhart…" Ryzia whispered quickly. Her hands shook as she held a couple of files a few inches from the desk.

"Yes, Headmaster_ Leonhart_. Is he available or should I come back later?" He was becoming increasingly impatient, not sure why this secretary was acting the way she was. "Where is Ms. Bailey, she's let me in every day since I've been here." Seifer waved a hand in front of the frightened girls face. "Can you hear me?"

Ryzia carefully placed the file down and slowly, her hands glided across the desk to the call in button.

"Ms. Trepe?" She uttered.

"…_Yes?_"

"Mr. Almasy is here." Ryzia swallowed hard, trying to compose herself. "He's here to see the Headmaster. Do you know anything about that?"

"Ryzia, he walked in with me, didn't you notice? Send him in!" They could hear the smile Quistis wore on her face when she spoke.

Ryzia looked at Seifer with eyes of a terrified child. "D-do you remember me at all?"

Seifer shook his head, his eyes widened from confusion. "Should I?"

Her eyes never left his when she released the lock on the door. Tears began to well as he walked away. She immediately slid off her chair, crawling underneath the space under her desk, hyperventilating.

Seifer shook off the feeling the young secretary gave him, wanting to be fully prepared for what was to happen. He opened the doors, approaching Squall as he sat at his desk. Zell stood by him, speaking in a low tone. In front of the large mahogany desk stood his teammates, whom all turned to acknowledge Seifer's presence. Zell and Squall looked up as Seifer stuffed his hands in his pockets, walking up the two steps that led to the enormous desk.

Seifer stood next to Arc, who kept his head low. He wore a permanent sneer, and it grew even wider when Seifer got near him.

Seifer raised a half-assed salute. "Seifer Almasy—reporting in to the Headmaster."

"You're supposed to address the Headmaster as _Sir_, you idiot." Barton glared, already angry at the fact he had to stand in the same room as Seifer. It was clear he was still fuming over the verbal spat in the airship.

"Let's get started since you're all here." Squall didn't have time to deal with Barton. Both had differing views on how Garden should have been ran and it only irritated him more seeing Barton already causing a fight. He could feel the beginnings of a headache as he motioned for Zell to begin.  
Zell stood in front of his team, as Squad Captain. "Our mission objective was to examine the areas damaged from the explosions caused by an unknown force in Timber. We have reason to suspect the Mireille's, unfortunately, what concrete evidence we collected is not sustainable proof."

Seifer's fingertips rubbed against the envelope in his pocket.

"I assigned Seifer and Thatcher to interview the victims and witnesses, having them document what they saw and who they spoke with. Arc and Barton were assigned with examining the area of damage, including ground zero and surrounding locations. Upon examining the rooftops, Arc discovered there were traces of blood splashed on one of the rooftops near the Timber Hotel. We have analyzed the data and thus far, can only tell it came from a male. Barton discovered from talking with victims of the disaster, and examining the area that there was an unidentified female with a Centran accent who had recently begun staying in the Timber hotel."

Seifer felt his body petrify. He felt like collapsing onto the ground could have been an option.

"Unfortunately, any data through surveillance was destroyed. Thankfully we recovered a few items that we may believe came from the female suspect. Aside from a fire damaged book, there is also an item we found that appears to be a steel necklace—very possible that it's jewelry that would be found on a male." Arc added, his eyes shooting a cold gaze at Seifer.

"That was all that was found?" Squall looked at the team members, all of which seemed unhappy they couldn't recover any further. He folded his arms on the desk, looking at the letter in front of him. "The council has ordered lockdowns on all major cities in Galbadia until further notice. This is coming to my disadvantage as I need to be in Deling City towards the end of the week. We need to buckle down and find this woman before she destroys another town. Be very careful with the journal, it should contain information as to who started the fires." He stood and the team members saluted.

"Sir, if I may, I need to say something—" Arc turned abruptly as the doors behind the group opened, revealing Drake, Zell's student. Quistis followed behind, keeping nearby the door.

Seifer noticed that around her black dress pants, she wore Save the Queen's holster was fastened to her hip. She closed the doors behind her and slowly approached the team. Her arms folded in front of her, one arm slightly lower than the other—pointed toward her weapon.

"Sir, I was requested to bring these to you once we finished the analysis…" Drake handed the packages to Squall. He stood at attention, saluting him. Something wasn't right about the tone of his voice. It was like he knew something they didn't.

"Thank you; you're dismissed for the rest of the day, Drake." Zell motioned for Quistis to get closer. She shook her head, keeping her distance, but casually so.

"Team, you're dismissed." Squall opened the first envelope. From the red envelope, he pulled out a tattered black book. As he carefully flipped through its fire scented pages, he discovered it contents were private entries – it was a woman's journal. Most of the pages had been blackened out, but it was still legible. "Remind me to have this translated; I still don't recognize Centran…"

_You idiot, speak! What the fuck are you waiting for?_ Seifer had to wait until his teammates left. After a moment of conversation, Thatcher and Barton followed behind Drake. Seifer watched as Thatch tipped his hat at Quistis, who kept her eyes on Seifer. Once the door shut, "I have something—" Arc and Seifer both spoke at once. They looked at each other and Seifer continued. "Squall, there's something I need to tell you first," Seifer blinked, feeling his heart in his chest about to explode.

"Arc, go ahead." Squall pushed his paperwork aside, opening the blue envelope and looking inside. "Actually…" He tipped the envelope, the contents shifted in a quiet rattle. "I need you to wait outside." Squall's eyes darted up towards Seifer's, a haunting stare as Arc made a noise in protest before turning on his heel to the exit.

Zell reached for the envelope. "What's in there?" He shot Squall a look when he tightened his grip on the evidence, keeping his eyes on Seifer. Once Seifer heard the doors close, Quistis walked closer, her hand on the whip. It didn't take long for Seifer to realize that her target was him. Squall shook his head and emptied the envelopes contents. "How did _this_ get in there?"

Seifer's trademark necklace, the very same he wore during his reign with Ultimecia lay glinting in the sunlight. It looked flawless, it's matte steel finish made the name stand out on the back of the plate: _ALMASY_

"Impossible." Zell breathed, picking up the necklace. His eyes darted from Seifer to the jewelry. "What…what is this, Seifer?" Seifer's eyes reflected raw fear as he stood transfixed on the necklace. He had no idea how the necklace had been in Nino's possession. He swallowed hard, trying to act calm. "Okay. I want to know who had this necklace, and why." Squall pressed the issue, quickly growing tired of Seifer's defense. "It's just a piece of jewelry."

"Then it shouldn't be hard for you to explain why it's sitting on my desk."

"Anyone could've had that necklace so how am I supposed to fucking know?" He could feel his invisible wall breaking around him, his defenses were beginning to show, and he had no control over it.

Squall huffed, reaching in his desk and pulling out a folder. Inside were photo copies of Seifer's journal. "You told me once that this girl wasn't anything special to you. Yet, in your journal, there are so many mentions of this girl. There was more to your relationship with the Mireille's wasn't there?" Squall reached for the burned journal, opening it up and searching the pages. "How strange is it that there are, in almost every entry, I see your name…"

"Stop."

"I can't read why but your name is the same in Centran." Squall turned a few pages, then flipped to the beginning of the book. "I see Selphie's name, mine…" He closed the book, leaning forward in his desk. "So you two were close? How close? Close enough to kill for her family?"

"It wasn't like that—"

Squall stood, slamming his hand on his desk. "She was in possession of property that belonged to you! I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't just give something like that to a girl you don't care about!"

"What significance does this have on Selphie's assassination? What about the Mireille's? What significance does it have on me?" Seifer wanted to scream. He struggled to keep composure, hoping to show Squall he wasn't going to break. "She was somebody I had asked to take my belongings to Matron. How was I supposed to know she would keep the necklace?" Seifer's blood pressure was making his eyes ache. "Why are you really angry, Squall? There's something more to it."

"Seifer, I gave you the benefit of the doubt and now you're backing into a corner. So now that we have something you don't want us to have, you so suddenly change your mind?"

Zell took a step back, his eyes lowered into slits as he kept them on Seifer.

Seifer's face contorted to a scowl. He glared at Squall, searching in his mind a definite excuse. "Nino was a lot of things—mostly an errand girl for Ultimecia, or would you prefer for me to discuss the priorities I requested from her when the doors were closed, Leonhart?"

"What are you not telling us Seifer?" Quistis was terrified of the evidence against Seifer, not wanting to admit she was wrong for releasing him. She took a few steps toward Seifer. Wanting to scream, wanting to fight, wanting to cry.

Seifer spun on her, feeling the walls coming down around him. He felt a weight on his chest, something painful. His vision faded and his forehead perspired. The room felt as though it was getting hotter by the minute. Frustrated, he threw his arms up. "I don't know! What do you want me to say?" His stance was apprehensive, making Quistis more willing to draw her weapon. "Nino's father asked me to join but we left! We went to Dollet to get away from the Syndicate. Yeah, I guess you can say we were a couple. I haven't been in contact since the night I was arrested. Only when she came to get my stuff. That's it—"

"Enough!" Squall walked from around his desk. Tense, he approached Seifer. At this point he was about to beat the living hell out of Seifer but instead he folded his arms, staring at the taller man. "Cid gave me an order and a position in Garden—so I could protect it and the people outside of our home. I did this for him because it was Matron's dying wish to be with her husband!"

"Matron's dying…?" Zell whispered, the news reaching his ears for the first time. He looked to Quistis, who couldn't match his gaze.

"I can't take this running around in circles for any longer! People are out there dying because you're girlfriend is leading them on a wildfire goose chase!"

"What's this about Matron, Squall?" Zell had tears in his eyes, his fists balled up tight as he stepped slowly down the stairs. "Why wasn't I told?"

Quistis approached Zell, trying to console him. "Zell… it's a long story…"

"No! Why wasn't I informed!" He pushed her away, fixated on the two men arguing back and forth.

"Trust me, it ain't her setting those fires…"

"Well, if it 'ain't' her Seifer, then I'd like to know who YOU think it is!"

Seifer sneered, his lips pressing together as he paced around the room.

_I need time to think—time to breathe… _

"Why didn't you tell me Squall?"

_There's too much noise—no time to breathe—no time for anything…think, Seifer! _

"It's obvious that you weren't ready for the news, Zell. We were going to tell you—_"_

"That is such bullshit Quistis! Why did you keep this news to yourself? I thought you trusted me better than that!"

_What do I say? What do I do?_

Seifer drowned everyone out as they fought, walking towards the large plush armchair in the sitting area. He slumped into it, his head hitting the soft cushion behind him.

His long fingers stuffed themselves inside his pocket. He had no control over it—he slowly pulled the envelope out and tossed it onto the coffee table in front of him.

This caused the three arguing SeeD's to turn their heads when he opened his mouth. "That is a holiday list everyone the Mireille's have been hired to kill." Seifer pushed his face into his hand, knowing that he wouldn't be sitting in a comfortable chair for long.

Squall lifted the envelope and unfolded the papers inside. His eyes skimmed over the list, once, twice, and then a third time.

"My god, Seifer… when did you get this?"

"Last night. I found Nino not far from the hotel. She gave the envelope to me, to give to you."

Never able to see eye to eye with one another, Squall shook his head in disgust. At that moment Squall didn't give a damn where and how Seifer got the information, nor why he let Nino go. He turned away before Seifer could speak. Reaching for his phone Squall began to make a call. "Irvine? It's come to my attention that there is a list of people the Mireille's are planning to assassinate…" He paused, listening. "I know because I'm holding it right now." Squall went down the list again, reading in his head. His cold eyes switched from the list to Seifer. "It's not important where I got it. We need to mobilize. Get your teams on alert. Nino Mireille needs to be found."

Seifer's heart sank at the mention of Nino's name. He looked to Zell who had his arms crossed, glaring back at Seifer.

Squall nodded, folding the paper and shoving it in his pants. He turned his back to Seifer, heading towards the cabinet which held his gunblade.

"I understand. We will see you there, Irvine." He flipped the phone shut, and opened the glass cabinet doors. Squall removed the black button down shirt, exchanging it with a black t-shirt.

"What are your orders, Headmaster?" Quistis asked quietly, tears formed on her lashes. She forced them away, standing at attention when Seifer's gaze stopped on hers.

Squall fastened the buckle around his waist. He reached for the sheath, clipping it into the belt. Finally, he unclasped the locks on his weapon's case, opening it and pulling out the gunblade.

Seifer paused, suddenly feeling very cautious about his surroundings. Everyone in the room was armed but himself.

"Inform all SeeD with a ranking of twenty and up to assemble in the Quad immediately. SeeD members nineteen and below are to be on standby. Have Nida ready the airship." Squall sheathed his weapon, and turned. With an authoritative tug, he fastened the holster a final time and walked past Seifer.

Quistis took a final glance at Seifer before she left, leaving a cold sensation around him.

_What have I done? _Seifer could feel the glare Squall was giving him as he walked out.

"Wait up! I'm coming with you." Zell's voice was low as he spoke, almost a growl. Squall stopped dead in his tracks and turned to Zell, pointing.

"No, Zell. Your job is to stay here with _him_." Squall's arm jutted in Seifer's direction.

"What? Oh come on, man—seriously?" Zell felt Squall's hand on his chest. "Let me go with you."

"Don't speak to him, don't ask him anything. He is not to leave your sight!"

"I won't sit here and babysit, Squall!" Zell pushed Squall's arm away, only to have it return with a point at his own face.

"One more outburst and it'll be insubordination." Squall was in Headmaster mode, and Zell knew if he pressed further it would have lead nowhere good for him. "Don't make me do this to you, Zell. You're one of my closest friends, but I'm Headmaster of this Garden and I'm ordering you to watch over this prisoner."

Seifer huffed. _Prisoner 527, reporting in. _

Zell took a few steps backward, letting Squall leave for the Quad.

* * *

When Squall approached the Quad, he was amazed at the timeliness of the Squads ready for his command. Already arranged by class and rank, he had no problem assigning them to their locations. He stood amongst the SeeD's—amazed at how eager they were to receive their orders. Quistis moved towards Squall, handing him a clipboard. "They're ready Squall."

Archelaus Wilhelm was one of the few selected to travel with the Headmaster. He stood quietly as Squall addressed his Squad. The information he had against Seifer was bad. But as a SeeD, he knew he had to surrender it to his Headmaster. Arc was loyal and honest, but at times, brash. Against the orders of his fellow officers, he stepped out of his row of SeeD, approaching Squall. "Sir, I need to tell you something very important."

Squall didn't seem to hear him, transfixed on the assignment attached to the clipboard.

Arc was growing impatient, his neck craned to the side, irate. "Sir! This is about Nino Mireille. I saw her with Almasy in the alley."

Squall jerked his head around, his brow furrowed in alarm. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried to, sir." Arc shrugged, pulling out his phone. "I was on the rooftops when I watched Seifer run down the street. Something didn't sit right when I saw it so I recorded what I heard for you sir." He opened an audio file, putting it to Squall's ear. "I wasn't able to hear what they said myself but I know that what's on this recording will give us some answers."

The sound of rain was prominent in the recording, making it sound garbled. Seifer's voice could be heard faintly, dipping in and out of the poor quality of the recording.

"_Did you do this?"_

"_I promise—"_

A clap of thunder and gust of wind censored the recording, making it hard to identify what was said.

"_The day I … turned home. I … the Roshfall forest, Raulny Canyons, Monterosa…they … so I … Timber—they … here too…I was trying to…" _Another burst of wind hit the microphone._ "…kill the representatives of the Unified Council! Seifer, I did it…"_

Squall looked at Arc in disbelief, he grabbed the phone and held it close to his ear, walking away to hear the rest. He motioned for Arc and Quistis to follow. "_They released me…I could help…you–the assassination…Tilmitt. Then…help…your family._" Squall pressed the phone between his shoulder and ear, quietly assigning teams to designated locations. "_In two weeks…come to…_ _I need you to give me time to…"_ The sound of rain was again prominent. _"This is the list of every person … to kill…"_ The rest of the recording was garbage; the gust of wind had blown directly into the microphone. _"This is the list of every person…to kill. I want to… They're trying to start a revolution—"_

Arc retrieved his phone, immediately pulling up a photo. The image included a shot of Nino, giving Seifer the envelope, her face as clear as day through the image.

"I need you to send that image to Dispatch. Have them forward the image to everybody on this mission." Seething, Squall looked over the teams on the clipboard and approached each one, walking down a line of SeeD officers and Cadets. They stood attentively in respect for their leader. "It's been brought to my attention that the Mireille's have a compiled list of several targets around the globe. Your missions are to secure the targets on the list. Once they've been secured, your next job is to hunt down Nino Mireille – daughter to Keim Mireille. I want her alive. I want you to go to every door in the town you are assigned to and I want you to do a head count. Detain anybody suspicious. An image of Nino Mireille, as well as your assigned potential targets will be forwarded to your mobile phones. Keep this as a reference for finding the suspect. Galbadia Garden will be joining us in our search. You all need to work together if we're gonna find them!"

* * *

Seifer kept his position in the large grey chair with his left arm resting over his abdomen. His right arm propped over the armrest supported his aching head. There was no movement from him aside for his steady breathing and his eyes tracking Zell as he paced back and forth.

"This is your…this is all _your_ fault!" Zell seethed. His teeth stayed clenched as he spoke. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had to stay here to babysit!" His knuckles rested on his back as he paced, shaking his head and cursing.

Seifer continued to watch Zell pace, Zell continued to rant.

"Why? WHY couldn't you have come forward with this? Why do you gotta always keep things to yourself!" Zell turned to look over at Seifer so hard he could've given himself whiplash.

"So you want me to be perfectly honest with you?" Seifer kept his position, his voice deadpan.

"Yes!"

Seifer stopped resting his head in his hand and folded his arms in front of him. He sighed. "I think you're about to pace a hole in the carpet."

Zell's face went through a series of emotions. Shock, disbelief and then utter flabbergast. It looked as if someone had hit _him _with Meteor Strike. He rushed towards Seifer, his hands clamped onto the armrest. "YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY!"

Seifer cocked his head to the side. "Yes Zell. I think the death of so many important people that help keep our world a nice place is _hilarious_." He mocked a laugh, making Zell back off.

He threw his arms out, "You say 'important people'—so _who_ exactly is on the list?"

Seifer became serious. He looked down at the cigarette case on the center of the table and treated himself to a cigarette. He inhaled, feeling the tobacco smoke burn his throat.

Zell sat across from Seifer, his elbows on his knees. "Well? C'mon—who is it?"

Seifer took another long drag, staring Zell down.

"Is it someone I know? Huh?"

Smoke exhaled from his lips, creeping out almost fluid like. He looked away, trying to find something else to concentrate on.

Zell's head bobbed up and down in a nod. "Oh…so it _is _someone I know!" He stood, his shoulders back, hands made into fists. "Who is on the list? Rupert Menelaus? Laguna Loire? Fury Caraway…"

Seifer sucked in another long drag, knowing it was probably his last cigarette he'll ever enjoy. What was he going to say to Zell? How could he put it? His thoughts were interrupted as he felt Zell's hand grasp the space between his neck and shoulder. With his cigarette still in his mouth, he watched as Zell's fist reared back, ready to land one right on Seifer's face.

Zell screamed, "TELL ME!"

With a casual exhale of the smoke, Seifer calmly replied, "Well, there's _you_ for starters."

The rage that Zell had built up and ready for Seifer had diminished quickly. He pushed Seifer back into the chair, stepping back in an awkward posture.

"There's you…there's Mayor Dobe and his wife Flo, Mayor Gines of Dollet…The president of Esthar and his council…"

"These are all people in the Unified Council." Zell's eyes were wide, his hand going to the back of his neck.

Seifer nodded, putting the cigarette out. "Squall is too. There's also Quistis and Irvine…_everybody_ we know is on this list. Cid and Matron, Sel…" Seifer stopped, his eyes grew wide. "Zell, where's Selphie?"

Zell shrugged, facing the window. "Dollet is holding a festival. She's on her way there from Deling City."

Seifer stood, walking towards Zell. He spun him around, his hands on Zell's shoulders. "Zell…we need to get to Dollet."

Zell's eyelids narrowed. "Do you really think I'm that stupid? We're not leaving this room."

"Zell, listen to me! She's alone, there's nobody there with her—don't you realize there's no one there to save her?"

Zell shook out of Seifer's grip, stepping backward. "What are you talking about? It's the Dollet festival! Thousands of people will be there!"

"Exactly."

"I can't just go and leave you here, it'd be a dereliction of duty—Squall'd kill me!"

Seifer thought for a moment, remembering Squall's exact words. "He never specified I had to stay in Garden." He watched Zell shake his head furiously.

"I can't."

"If you want to see Selphie alive again, we have to bring her here where it's safe. We don't have much time, Zell!"

"I CAN'T!" Zell exploded, looking as if he was about to cry. "I can't trust you!" His words came out in disgust. "What if we get there and you run—huh?"

"I _can't_ run – I have to make up for what I've done…or at least what I _haven't._" He waited for Zell to reply. "Zell you've GOT to trust me! Please."

Zell didn't respond. He crossed his arms below his chest and continued to stay facing the window.

Seifer sighed, looking down at his ankle bracelet. It was the only thing that kept him a prisoner. "Get this thing off of me, and I promise that I won't let Selphie get hurt."

Zell contemplated it, his head turned at Seifer's ankle. He slowly approached Squall's desk, opening a drawer and pulling out a slender flat metal key. Seifer swallowed hard, unsure if he was uneasy for his freedom or anxious of getting to Dollet.

Zell approached him fearfully. "I swear…" His voice was dark, threatening. "On my life, if you run…I will hunt you down."

Seifer lifted his pant leg, revealing the slim device around his ankle. He nodded, equally serious. "I'll let you catch me."

Zell slid the slender key through a slot, watching as the steady blue light began to blink rapidly. A small click came from an internal mechanism and he pulled it off.

Seifer smiled, running his hand along the clammy pale skin that had been covered for so long.

"If it itches, don't scratch it." Zell walked back to the desk and grabbed the black jacket resting on the edge of the surface. He reached in his jacket for a cadet hat and tossed it to Seifer. "The fastest way to get to Dollet is by an ALV. They're designed with upgraded hydrofoils—much faster than the assault boats." Zell opened the doors, relieved that Ryzia was no longer at her desk. "C'mon."

As they neared the main floor, Seifer fumbled with the jacket Zell forced him to wear. "This uniform makes me look like a tool." Seifer dusted off the patterned shoulder of the jacket, trying to get it to fit.

"It's just until we get to the Parking Lot. We need to take an elevator there to reach the underground facility where we store them now." Zell watched Seifer try to pull the hem of the jacket, as if it would make it longer. It stopped a few inches off his ribcage.

"Just wait until we get there! Jeez…" Zell was relieved when the doors opened, motioning for Seifer to slip on the cadet hat.

They stepped out, casually descending the stairs. SeeD squad teams hurried by, either toward the parking lot or the entrance. Nobody seemed to notice Seifer or Zell heading toward the Garden's gaping entrance, much less the staggering brown-haired kid dressed in civilian wear.

As they made their escape, the figure caught Seifer's eye. He turned, seeing Nino's baby brother staggering towards him.

"Seifer…" He weakly groaned out, his breathing raspy. He coughed and stumbled, falling forward. Seifer rushed towards the young boy, catching him as he fell.

Zell's shoes skidded as he stopped and turned. "Seifer, what are you doing? We've got to go. "

"Lux…how did you get here?" Seifer shook the jacket off, covering the small boy.

"I took a train…I was in Dollet…they…they're gonna kill us…Nino's gone…" He was no older than eleven, but to Seifer he was much younger than that. "You ha...have to s-stop them, please!" Lux's skin was so pale, his blue veins showed through the skin. He was drenched in sweat, but felt frozen.

"Don't worry, buddy…we're gonna fix everything."

"Who is this kid?" Zell kneeled down to Seifer's eye level.

"Zell!" Zell's eyes went from the dying child to Tomé, who was hurriedly rushing toward them as fast as her heeled shoes could carry her. "I just heard the message! What's going on!" She stopped a few feet short away from Seifer, eyeing the child in his arms. She saw the two black duffel bags and weapons case next to them, putting two and two together.

Zell put his hands up defensively. "I can explain."

"…You can't leave." She pointed at Seifer, frightened when he stood without effort, lifting the boy with him. He walked towards her, holding Lux close to his chest.

"Tomé…if you ever were to return the favor for what I did for you last night, this would be it." He looked down at Lux, who was barely conscious. "This is Lux Mireille. He's very sick, and he needs a good doctor. I know you can help him, so please…" He stressed his words, his eyes closed. "Please protect him while I'm gone."

"Seifer, I—"

"Please don't make me beg." He clutched onto Lux tight, trying to keep himself composed. "This boy means everything to me—he's my family. But Selphie's my family too and we need to go help her."

Begrudgingly, Tomé sighed. She opened her phone, sending a message to her staff. "I'll take care of him." She motioned for Seifer to place Lux on the nearby concrete bench, laying him flat. Tomé pulled her hair back into a bun and pulled Seifer towards her in an embrace before he could get away.

"Be careful, both of you."


	10. Coup de Grâce

**Disclaimer:** _As much as I think it'd be awesome, I do not own SquareEnix, Final Fantasy VIII, its characters or anything in between. I do not make profit from writing fanfiction.  
_This story contains content suitable for adults. If you're below the age of 18, I'd suggest finding something else to read. _Story Ingredients: Abuse, Angst, Corruption, Death, Drugs/Alcohol, Non Consensual, Original Characters, Romance, Transformation, Violence_

_**Authors Note:** This is the final chapter of Part ONE of Legacy. Many more are to come so please please PLEASE let me know what you thought of this first installment and as always, I genuinely appreciate you have taken the time to read this.

* * *

_**Coup de Grâce**

Headmaster Squall Leonhart sat along with his team in the airship. They were on their way to Poccarahi, the island in Centra where a new settlement had begun colonizing eight years prior. Nino's journal had led him to believe that was where she was raised, and so he and his team set their priorities to visit her homeland first. He sat in silence, almost finding it hard to keep his composure in front of his staff. Quistis sat across from him in the rows, quietly keeping her gaze on him.

"I need to check in with Zell." Almost a mutter when he stood, Squall approached the pilot's cabin. He watched as the assistant pilot stood at attention, offering his seat. Squall nodded, and sat next to Nida.

"Need to make a call?" Nida's eyes remained dead set on the sky when he spoke.

"Yeah, my damn mobile won't make calls when we're at this altitude. I've got a funny feeling, almost like I should've done this sooner." Squall dialed out, waiting for a response.

When there was no one answering the phone in his office, he tried the main phone line.

"_Which extension?" _

"I need to speak with Operations Director Assistant Zell Dincht." Squall sighed, rubbing his forehead. Minutes went by as Squall waited. He wondered what the problem was. Beginning to feel uneasy, he heard the same voice on the other line.

"_Sir, Dincht is not in the Garden." _

"What are you talking about? Where IS he?"

"_Well, he took a single cadet out on an ALV. Landing Vehicle no. 004, sir." _

Squall's throat felt dry. "What Cadet?"

"…_Sir?" _A tone of confusion was on the other end of the line.

Squall's voice carried louder than he had intended. Nida and the rest of the staff flinched in reaction. "_Which_ Cadet did he take with him?"

Silence, as if the voice on the phone was searching for answers. _"…Archelaus Wilhelm, sir."_

Squall glanced through the glass door to the seats. He followed the row until he spotted Arc, sitting next to Thatcher. Arc's gaze went from the window to Squall's—as if he had just caught on to what had happened.

Squall lifted the phone to his ear, his jaw clenched. "That's impossible. I'm looking at Archelaus Wilhelm as we speak."

"_Well Headmaster, his secondary combat gear and uniform have been checked out…uh—sir." _

"Patch me through to Ryzia in my office. Now!"

Quistis opened the door, walking inside the cockpit and putting a hand on Squall. She tensed as the vein in his neck pulsed. His knuckles were white against the black phone.

"Squall, you have to calm down…"

"_Office of Headmaster Squall Leonhart—"_

"Ryzia, it's me. I need you to pull up the tracking map for the bracelet that we have on Almasy. Can you do that?" He heard the sound of keys on a keyboard clacking furiously.

A sudden pause of silence went by until, _"Headmaster Leonhart…the tracker is indicating it's in your office." _

"Confirm it, I need you to go inside and look for Almasy."

Ryzia hesitated. _"Headmaster, I don't think I—"_

"That is an order Ryzia!" He yelled, hitting the steel framing the side of the ship.

Back in Balamb Garden, Ryzia gently unplugged the phone, carrying it with her as she opened the doors to the office. She peered in carefully, looking around. The faint smell of cigarette smoke was still lingering in the air, as well as the scent of Seifer's cologne. Her eyes darted around, but stopped on the bracelet as it blinked on Squall's desk. She swallowed hard, making a pained face. All of her terrors were rushed in by this madman and now she had to deliver this terrible news to her brave Headmaster Leonhart.

"_Headmaster…?"_ She felt like she could cry, her heart broken. _"The bracelet…it's here. Almasy is not."_

On the airship, Squall looked as if he was about to have a stroke.

Quistis leaned forward and put a hand on his knee. "Squall, what's happened?"

Squall cleared his throat, his eyes wide. "He let the dog off his leash…" Shaking his head, he composed himself. "Ryzia, pull up the tracking for an ALV—number 004. Where is it heading?"

A few seconds of silence went by. "It's heading for Dollet, sir."

Quistis watched nervously as Squall went pale. Still in the call, he dropped the phone, letting it hang from its cord. His shaky hand went into his pocket, pulling out the list. He opened the page, staring at it in horror. The names on the list burned into Squall's eyes. Almost every one of the names listed would be at the Festival. Everything made sense to Squall, and he had to take charge of the situation before it got further out of control.

"Change direction immediately. Set our course to Dollet, full speed." His voice came out nervous.

Nida wanted to question it, but instead complied. He knew not to question Squall, having been his trusted pilot and friend all these years.

Squall leaned forward, his head resting in his hands.

"Squall, talk to me…" Quistis kneeled down next to him, trying to make sense of his phone conversation. She reached out and hung up the phone and went back to Squall.

_Seifer's going to trap everyone at the festival…_

He slowly raised his head, looking into Quistis' worried eyes. "It was all a big trap. Seifer's not changed at all, he's worse than before. And now he's going to kill _everyone_."

* * *

The ALV pushed through the waves, running at full speed. Zell piloted the powerful machine, occasionally checking the map. In the distance, he could see faintly see the mountain range surrounding the city.

"We're just about there…" Zell rubbed his eyes and looked at Seifer.

Seifer leaned back in the co-pilot's seat; propping his feet up on it's panel. His gaze was fixed on Dollet, hoping that they would make it before the Festival began. It was almost sundown and he was sure that everyone in Galbadia would be there. Seifer's temple rested in his palm as he watched the waves through his black sunglasses. He reached in his pocket for the metal cigarette case from Squall's office. Opening the small vent beside him, he lit one up, offering one to Zell.

"I never figured you for a smoker." Zell smirked, turning him down.

"I quit years ago but I'm living it up tonight. Once we get Selphie, I'm pretty sure I'll be gift wrapped and sent back to Kozeransk." He scoffed. "Getting tobacco in that place… if the guards offer you one, it means that it's fused with medicine. If the prisoners sell them to you—well, let's just say if they were to sell you one, you'd better take the guards up for one."

"If what you're saying is true, then we need to do what we can to keep you from going back there."

Seifer laughed. "You know Squall better than I do now. Do you really think he's going to just _let_ this slide?" He took a long drag from the cigarette, exhaling slowly.

"It's worth it to try." Zell glanced over, watching as Seifer closed his eyes. "So back at Garden…you called Selphie family."

"Ugh, you're bringing that up again? I told you already, it was just a way for me to get Tomé to let us leave."

"I'm sorry, man." Zell was quiet for a moment, waiting for Seifer to say something, but he didn't. No longer able to stand the silence, Zell's eyes darted over to Seifer. "So, this girl—Nino…"

"I don't want to talk about _her_ right now." He exhaled, smoke disappearing into the vent. He could feel Zell's eyes on him, which made him more than uncomfortable. "She was Ultimecia's backup plan." Seifer frowned, running a hand through his hair. "In the event that Edea's body could no longer be possessed, she was going to use Nino."

"Why her though?"

"Nino was born with a gift…I can't explain it." He took another drag, staring at his hands as they rested in his lap. "She was born with a gift like Ellone's."

"Ohh!" Zell nodded. "So is that how the two of you became close?"

"We're not. Not anymore at least." Seifer sighed. "We used to have a place in Dollet—Nino and I. We had an apartment by the docks for a couple years, we were settled, happy. This was after Ultimecia was defeated and Nino confided in me that she wanted to just…be with me." Seifer flicked the ash that continued to grow on the end of his cigarette.

"What happened?"

"Everything." He clenched his hand, forcing it to stop twitching. "Things happened and I wasn't there for her. I was a complete bastard."

"You're always a bastard, Seifer."

"Yeah, but not in the degree that I was to her…" Seifer spaced off, watching the waves again. "When she told me she was pregnant I left—I didn't tell her where I was going, I just left." Seifer's voice grew quiet, his face expressionless. "Nino was sleeping the first time I saw her belly." Seifer smiled sadly. "It got big."

It was different hearing Seifer tell Zell something so personal. "How long were you gone?"

"About four months."

"Three months!" Zell's jaw dropped as he repeated Seifer.

Seifer shook his head, "I didn't like the idea of being a father until I actually felt it kick at me." He looked down to his palms; a phantom touch forced them to close tight.

"So you haven't seen your kid in four years?"

"I never saw the kid."

"Miscarriage?"

Seifer looked at Zell through his sunglasses, amused. "Yeah, something like that. Let's talk about something else."

Zell looked up, seeing the sun was slipping from the horizon. "Would you say that you believe in love?"

Seifer looked at Zell, a little confused with what he asked. "…No." He stated in monotone. Repeating the question to himself, he sputtered and whipped his gaze back at Zell. "What is wrong with you? Why are you bringing up all these personal topics? Shit, maybe _you_ should be a psychologist."

"Let me rephrase it…" Zell turned his upper body to look directly at Seifer. "Are you in love with Nino?"

"What?" Seifer backed away in his seat. "Zell, stay away from that subject with me, it's not exactly something I talk about." Seifer shook his head, blowing out the smoke from his cigarette. He shoved the rest of the cigarette through the vent and closed it.

"Why not?"

"It's not a casual subject." He eyed Zell. "Especially with you. I've had four years to think about the concept of love and all-in-all and I came to the conclusion that there was never any point. It's better to have never felt the happiness of love than to be tortured by the pain of it ending. With me and Nino, trust me, it was never about love. It was about companionship."

"I remember Matron telling me once, 'the most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.'" Seifer looked as though he was going to punch Zell in the mouth. "Drop the subject, right now."

"You obviously do. Seifer, you were going to give your _life _for her and I _know_ you didn't kill those people! We all do! Whoever did, you took the fall for them so Nino wouldn't have been harmed…that's love man. If she's not worth fighting for, then she's not worth keeping, and you've clearly fought for her this whole time…why not just give in?" Seifer looked at Zell, shaking his head. He looked down, speechless. "We've got more pressing issues to deal with than 'love'." He flicked his fingers in quotations. Zell grinned. "Have you ever told her?" Seifer thought for a moment. "…I didn't think I had to." Zell left it at that, humming to himself as they neared Dollet. "Should be another hour…" Seifer shifted out of his seat, walking back into the main hold and laid out on the long seats. He closed his eyes, the sick feeling he thought was motion sickness was instead him missing Nino. Drifting, he was lulled to sleep by the rocking of the vessel.

Just as soon as he fell asleep his eyes opened wide and he was gasping for air. His throat felt as though someone had their hands wrapped around it, choking him, suffocating him.

_How long was I out?_

He had a dream, but couldn't remember what it was about. Seifer sat up, rubbing his face, wiping the sweat away. He froze, feeling his heart stop as he looked at the stranger opposite of him. Across the room sat his former self when he was in the prison. Multiple lacerations stretched across his stomach and were fresh and oozed blood. As Seifer's eyes drifted upward, he saw the bullet hole between his eyes, a steady stream of blood pouring out of it as well. Another bullet wound was in his right shoulder, throbbing from pain. Seifer noticed that the chains wrapped around his arms were fused to the wall. The figure smiled at him, holding a dirty bundle of fabric.

Seifer looked at him questioningly.

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's not your concern." This 'Seifer' shrugged it off, leaning his back against the wall. "After all, I mean, you made your point clearly in there that love was not your forte, so in essence, you killed this child."

Seifer's eyes snapped open when he heard the sound of the door opening. He jerked his body up, shaking his head furiously.

"You were sleeping?" Zell stared at him in disbelief. "Uh—I don't know…I guess…" Seifer noticed there was no motion to the hull. He heard a series of dull booms and a band playing faintly. Zell's voice grew low. "Seifer, I'm taking a chance and trusting you on this. Help me find Selphie. If something goes wrong here, I'll be lucky to be executed."

The Dollet Festival welcomed the beginnings of fall, saying farewell to summer, and celebrating the joy of life. Music echoed through the streets, which were illuminated by the multitude of fireworks that were being set off from designated rooftops. Festival revelers walked in the same direction as Seifer and Zell. They maneuvered around them, getting closer to the town square. Most of the celebrants were already drunk and sung songs, trying to drown out the band which played a happy folk-style tune.

"Where would Selphie be?" Seifer yelled over to Zell, who bit his lower lip. He scratched his tattooed side of his face and nodded. "She's either going to be near the food or the band!"

As they neared the square, the alleys became more populated. Seifer and Zell pushed past people, occasionally letting out a "pardon me," and "sorry." Seifer had never seen so many people in the cramped town square. The street leading towards the communications tower was blocked with a stage. The band performed pitch-perfect music, occasionally laughing and encouraging the crowd to sing along. They battled their way through the square, scoping out for Selphie. With much relief, Seifer spotted her by the stage dancing freely with two other women. She wore a knee length sundress with her old cowgirl boots. The dress, which fanned out, exposed her thighs each time she jumped. The fabric was brightly colored—Selphie danced in a swirl of fuchsia, teal and orange. Her hair was curled in right ringlets, bouncing around her in a halo of auburn-brown.

"Thank Hyne! Now let's go to the pub and have a drink before we go back." Zell grinned. Seifer looked at Zell oddly, shoving him in her direction. "How about we grab her and get out of here." The taller blonde looked around, keeping his wits about him. As he began to follow Zell he spotted a familiar face in the crowd trying to move away from the mass of people.

If Selphie could've been any happier to see Zell, she would have glowed. Her arms reached out to him, her face beaming. "What an awesome surprise, Zell!" She leaped into his arms, her feet kicked behind her as he held her tight. "Isn't this amazing?" She pointed to the band, almost out of breath. "Me and my girls petitioned to have them play and they came all the way from Trabia just to play for the Festival!" Zell's expression was false. He managed to fake a smile, but his eyes were full of worry. "Selph, we gotta leave…Seifer and I broke protocol to get here and take you somewhere safe." Selphie's smile faded faintly. She shook her head, confused. "Well, where is he?" Zell whipped his around, his fury rising. "That son-of-a-bitch! I'll kill him!"

Seifer pushed through the crowd, almost feeling as if there was a vice connected to his chest pulling him forward. His shoves were becoming more forceful, frantic. He moved quicker through the large mass, afraid that Nino would slip out of sight. A surge of energy caused him to push further and Seifer collided into a drunken participant of the festivities, who had stepped into his line of vision.

"HEY! BUDDY! LEMME BUY YOU A DRANK!" The man had to have been no older than Seifer, but it only infuriated him. Any normal day he would have knocked him on his feet but it didn't matter now. The man was nothing more than an obstacle at this point. "Get out of my way! Now!" Seifer yelled, trying to walk past the drunkard. The man didn't budge, instead he and another drunk joined in around Seifer, urging him to drink. "C'MON! IT'S A PAR-TAY! WOOO!" The second idiot pushed a cup to Seifer's mouth. Seifer pushed it away, spilling it down the drunk's front. "Don't make me ask again. Move aside!" When he looked past the hazy mass, Nino was gone. He had lost her. "LISTEN, WE AIN'T GONNA LET YOU PASS NOW! YOU MADE BENN SPILL HIS DRANK!" The first drunk grabbed Seifer's shirt forcefully. Before Seifer could think, like a machine, he threw his fist into the drunks nose, completely shattering it. The music still blaring loudly as he shouted, "Anybody else?" Seifer spun around and the crowd of drunks gave him a wide berth, letting him pass through.

Moving through the wild crowd, Zell tugged Selphie along. "Where the hell is he?" It was at that moment he saw the commotion. Moving through the crowd, they found the man on the ground with a shattered nose. Selphie gasped, immediately dropping to her knees next to him. Zell groaned. "Selphie! We gotta find Seifer and go! We don't have time to help a local drunk!" Selphie shot a disappointed look at Zell. "Zell Dincht! We can't just leave him here on the ground! He's hurt!" Zell moved his arms in the direction Seifer went, frustrated. He adored Selphie for her thoughtfulness, but he had a hard time adoring her compassion in bad situations. "Zell! We took an oath! Are you going to back out on that? Our oath is to help those who can't help themselves! We protect them! We're SeeD's!" She held a handkerchief to the man's nose. "That's _WHAT_ I'm _TRYING_ to _DO_!" Zell growled through his teeth, glaring angrily at Selphie. "I love you, my beautiful goddess…" The drunk mumbled, a weary hand touching Selphie hair.

* * *

Seifer ducked into an alley, stepping backwards to make sure he wasn't followed. He turned and raced down the cobble-stoned ground, stumbling on the uneven stones in the darkness. Archelaus' weapon was strapped to his hip, a forward curved blade that resembled a cross between a scimitar and a khukuri, finished in an understated black matte finish. It was light but powerful, perfect for quick and close combat. Seifer didn't think he was going to need it, but to be sure, he made sure the sheath was unbuttoned. As he turned a sharp corner, heading in the direction of the crowd—he saw Nino in the middle of the street, breathing sharply.

"Nino?"

"Seifer? What are you doing here?" The young woman turned, nearly stumbling over her legs. She fell into his arms, nearly collapsing. Seifer pulled her to his chest, brushing the hair from her face. Something wasn't right about her. He could feel her heart pounding in his own chest. Gently standing her up on her own, he noticed she was panicked, pale. Her eyes darted the rooftops. "Nino, focus. What's happened?" Through her teeth she whispered to him. "They're coming…" Her words were hilted, abrupt. She groaned in pain, holding her arm across her ribcage. "Breya—she pushed me off the building. I fell pretty badly. Can you take me somewhere safe so I can heal?"

"I'll do you one better, I'm taking you with me." When Seifer tried to walk away with Nino's hand in his own she wouldn't budge. "Nino, you have to trust me. I'm not letting them harm you. Lux is already at Garden—"

"You don't understand—Aah!" She winced again, her hand going to her right thigh. Seifer realized couldn't walk on her own. He watched as she reached into her pocket and retrieved her last potion. "You won't be able to carry me through that crowd. It's too much of a risk."

"It's too much of a risk just standing here though…" Seifer heard wings fluttering on the rooftops as roosting birds took flight. Something was scaring them and he wasn't sure what. Seifer looked down just as Nino swallowed the blue magic, looking as though she was feeling instant relief. She smiled, standing upright as her body healed itself. "Now can we go—" Nino stunned Seifer by reigning him in, planting a rough kiss on his lips. Despite his restraint he returned the kiss until she pulled away, almost sure that they had both heard Zell calling his name. "Don't worry—there will be more of that but right now we have to leave."

Seifer held her close, leading her through the crowd of people. The band continued to play loudly as they drifted through, searching for Zell and Selphie. Without warning they were bum rushed by a group of people, heading towards the front of the stage. Seifer recovered, but shot his eyes around the area. Nino was gone and his grip around her was lost during the rush of people. The stage lights blinded him as his eyes moved through the crowd of people. Suddenly, through the deafening amplified live band and cheering festival, he heard a pitch, a panicked cry.

"NINO!" He screamed, searching for her. In a brief instant, he saw a darker reflection of himself from the street. Their gaze had found each other. The figure sneered as he disappeared into a quiet alley.

The world continued to move, the party continued to rage around him, but for that brief moment his time stopped. The music muted the crowd blurred, even his own breath had ceased. When their eyes locked, the only thing in Seifer's world was the twisted reflection of himself staring back; a malicious grin resting on his face. In this moment that seemed to last an eternity the only thing that forced reality upon him was another panicked scream from Nino. He shook his head clear and the figure was gone. Almost in doubt, he started moving through the crowd slowly.

Another cry…

Seifer moved faster, pushing people out of the way. If Seifer had chanced to look behind him he would have found Zell and Selphie no more than 100 feet away. His eyes did not seek to find them however, he needed to find Nino.

* * *

Torrin had Nino by her hair, dragging her down the alley. "We've wasted a lot of resources finding you and Lux…" He spoke through his teeth, "So much firepower…it's almost like you didn't _want_ to be found!" Nino struggled, clawing at the fist clenched into her hair. "No! Please!"

"You never fail to fucking disappoint me." He hurled her forward, his strength slamming her hard into the stone wall. She hit the ground hard, knocking whatever breath she had left from her lungs. Nino gasped, followed by a wounded moan as she lay on her back where she landed. She no longer had the strength to move, let alone fight back. White spots flashes danced in her eyes and she could hardly focus her eyes on anything around her.

Torrin sensed her conquered willpower and strength and climbed on top of her. "Oh my little fox, I want to know what it feels like being inside of you while I pull this trigger." He pressed his pistol against her neck as he unbuttoned her white blouse. "Don't do this—please—I haven't said anything to them—just let me go!" She sobbed as panic overpowered her. She couldn't muster the strength to raise a hand in protest.

"We can't risk that, my dear." Urvo appeared out of the alley, keeping in the shadows.

Torrin leaned in to kiss her roughly, biting and tugging at her lower lip. A thick taste of one of his homemade drugs overwhelmed her. When he pulled back, she gagged harshly, wanting to vomit.

"Well, well…who's that I taste on those sweet little lips of yours?" Torrin cooed, grabbing her by the face and squeezing it just as rough as his kiss. "Urvo—please…" Nino sobbed. "Stop this!"

"Forgive me, child." Urvo used the figure running down the alley as an excuse to look away.

"And…would that be…" Torrin rolled his eyes, aiming them towards the figure. "Well, well, well… you never know who you're gonna see at these kinds of things."

"NINO!" Seifer charged down the alley.

Torrin nodded to the shadows, grinning maliciously as he ripped open the rest of Nino's shirt, revealing a white tank top. She shook her head at Seifer furiously, her eyes silently pleading for him to stay away.

The moment Seifer took a step past the wall, his abdomen suddenly erupted into pain. He went down hard and his arms had grasped his midsection on the way down—furthering the impact. Urvo stepped out from around the corner, a thick chunk of rebar some 4 feet long in his hands. He motioned to the three figures waiting in the shadows.

Seifer lay on the ground, his body curled; gasping from the blow he received. "Stay down, boy." Urvo demanded.

Defiant, Seifer stretched his right arm out to push himself up. As he lifted himself to his knees another sudden burst of pain sent him to his back. Urvo had demonstrated his swinging technique again, this time square across Seifer's chest. The sound of his ribs cracking echoed down the alley but was dissipated quickly by the festival. Seifer stared straight up unable to draw breath, unable to move, unable to make a sound. The fireworks began to go off again he noticed and at that moment his breath rushed back into his bruised lungs. The rush of air revived his senses, the new sensation of pain as he drew in a deep breath focused his mind, and the return of his hearing made him lift his head. He saw Torrin coming his way.

Torrin was dragging Nino's body upright with him. He had a grip on her hair again, a gun to her neck. "Stop! Please!" Nino begged, her eyes reflected a level of terror Seifer couldn't describe.

Seifer rolled to his side and pushed himself up again. He gasped in pain, blood oozing out of his mouth as his lips parted. _Internal bleeding… need to handle this quickly,_ he thought to himself. He turned to Torrin standing as straight up as his injuries allowed. He spit out the blood that had bubbled up into his mouth. After wiping the excess away with his hand, he looked to Torrin and with a grin on his face and asked, "What else ya got?"

Before he could take his first full step towards Torrin he was restrained from behind. The two identical twins, Fik and Mik Ragigio had grabbed hold of him. Torrin stood in front of Seifer, impressed.

"Ey buddy…" Mik smiled and pushed Seifer against the opposite wall. Seifer felt a blow to the back and fell forward, followed with a grip on his collar and the sudden fling to the opposite wall.

"Ya don' _really_ think we'd let _ya_ 'ave this fine piece of _ass_ all to yerself did'ja?" Fik laughed, kicking him in the face. "Yea tha's right…we awl enjoyed this little fuck-slut of yers!" Seifer looked up and shook his head, launching forward at Fik.

He clawed at Fik's neck and eyes in a desperate attempt to get a good grip as Mik pulled him away, pressing his gun against his larynx. Fik pulled out his gun on Seifer, pressing it into his neck as he removed the belt holstering Arc's blade. He grinned at it appreciatively, strapping it to his own waist before aiding his brother.

"Let her go Torrin!" Seifer looked at the shadowy figure restraining Nino.

"Oh! So then you know who I am! That's good because I wasn't looking forward to explaining in great detail…" Torrin grinned maliciously, flinging Nino to Urvo, who held her tight against the wall. The raven-haired man sauntered towards Seifer, curious. Torrin lifted Seifer's head up towards his own, forcing Seifer to look at him. "My favorite thing to study when I was a child was genetics. It's fascinating. Looking at you it's clear we take after our father. I mean, we've got the same eyes… " Tor's eyes trailed across Seifer's face. "Same lips…same nose…hell, if I was a blonde, we could be twins…"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Seifer was beginning to feel sick. If he had to swallow another mouthful of blood he was sure he'd vomit.

"Nino didn't tell you?" Torrin looked back to Nino and waved a finger toward her. "You naughty little fox…" He turned back to Seifer. "She must love the idea of fucking the both of us…" Torrin dropped the humorous charade and reached out to Seifer's neck. "I don't think dad would agree though. Speaking of which…"

"No…" Seifer closed his eyes in disbelief. He didn't want to hear what Torrin was about to say. It's impossible. He was an only child. His father died in battle, his mother died protecting him from Adel. Were these all lies that Seifer told himself, or was it truth?

"I thought daddy taught you better than not to touch what's mine." He cackled, letting go of Seifer's face and turning towards Nino.

"Let her go." Seifer growled, still struggling in the twins' arms. "Or what, Seifer?" Mik chuckled coolly, patting Seifer down. Ignoring Mik, Seifer kept his gaze on his brother. "What's the matter Torrin?" Seifer spat the blood pooling in his mouth onto the filthy ground. "Jealous of something? Need to torment somebody weaker than you?" He screamed, still struggling. "Shoot _me_."

"No! Seifer!" Nino tried to stand up, but was immediately pushed back down by Urvo.

"Let her go and shoot me if it makes you feel more like a man." Seifer shuddered.

"Seifer, you're better off to me alive. It helps make me feel better knowing that my baby brother felt sad for my little vagabond." Torrin smiled, biting his lower lip as he inhaled. "However, I wouldn't mind giving you a taste of lead before we leave—"

"We're short on time, Tor. Make it fast." Urvo warned as he watched the alleys.

Torrin pushed the gun against Seifer's temple. Blood ran down the side of his face, pooling in his mouth and neck. He smiled and pulled the gun from Seifer—aiming it towards Nino's chest. "Stupid girl, you know the rules. You can't just abandon your family." Torrin spilled the words out like acid, pulling the trigger on his gun.

Seifer screamed, teeth bared—struggling with all his strength. He instantly froze in motion, watching the bullet fly through Nino's chest and collide into the brick wall behind her. He could hear Fik and Mik jeering and cackling like crazies. Seifer looked on as Torrin shot her another time. He was unable to look away, taking in the moment as it went on like an eternity. All noise stopped around him when he watched as Nino leaned her head back, in shock, choking. He watched as Torrin pressed his hand against her collarbone, slamming her into the back of the wall.

Seifer kept his eyes on Nino, knowing Torrin was coming for him next. The reality was staring him right in the face. Everything blurred around him except for Nino. In the midst of it all, he watched as blood dripped from Nino's mouth and spilled to the ground. The blood began to steam, spreading around her. It spread out, covering the walls, the bodies, reaching toward Seifer as it bubbled into a black mass. All time stopped for Seifer when it touched his feet, draping him in darkness.

The pattern of the black mass that encompassed him grew into something more organic, textured, concrete, evolving into a new world. Black and shadow-filled, it resembled a labyrinthine complex of vertical walls with cubicle like rooms carved deep into its core.

"_͆́̀̿__W__͇̾̾__a__̓͂__k__͆ͅ__e__̈́__..."_

Seifer awoke to a deep voice as he waded against a tide pool. He waded at the dank water's edge, lying on a rough, pebble-strewn ground. He remained still, his bruised hand the only thing moving, feeling the surface below him. From the darkness came a small boy, his blonde hair covering his face. Pale color and featureless, he knelt down, patting Seifer's head and meandering into a cubicle opposite him, disappearing from view.

After a moment of eerie silence, drops of blood hit Seifer's cheek, running down his jaw line as it tickled the tiny scruff on his face. Minutes went by until he finally sat up, at last regaining the ability to move. Shivering, he sat up. He breathed deeply, acclimating to his surroundings. The floor he once thought was a garden of pebbles had turned into filth and ash. Oil was present around him in many forms, puddles, moisture, and in the dripping ceilings. The entire place reeked of fire damage and it caused Seifer's eyes to sting.

His eyes focusing, queasy, still not fully awake, Seifer noticed the crimson stains on his dirty henley shirt. The moment he had looked up to find the source, oil and blood drops showered the air. He threw his head down and covered himself with his arms, as if trying not to get anything on him directly. But the moment he had done so, the 'rain' had ceased. He looked up again, only to find nothing.

"_̟̓͂͆́̀__C__̞̝̿̀́__o__̙̘̚__m__̛̜__e __̝__t__̈́ͅ__o__͇͇͆__m__̞̟__e…"_

Still adjusting to this nightmarish realm, Seifer could hear a child crying. He looked around, then through a crack in the floor. He briefly caught sight of the child from earlier beneath him, on a level lower than his. He looked up, deathly afraid that Seifer had heard him.

"Hey kid!" Seifer tried speaking to the child, only to make him run away. As the boy disappeared into a corridor ending in nothing but darkness Seifer stood on his two feet, shaky and lightheaded.

As he looked up, he gasped as he viewed the spectacle before him. In front of him was a massive landscape of blocks, cubicles, crawlspaces, walls, stairs, and ladders; leading everywhere and nowhere.

Seifer spotted the boy as he ran across the same room he stood in and into another dark corridor just like the one that he had ran into previously. As the boy walked into it; a blinding light came from inside. The fluorescent light coming through the door was nearly blinding, making Seifer look away, adjusting to being subjected from dark to light.

He took a few steps, hearing his feet echo throughout the entire labyrinth. As he walked he looked around the area he was in. What he saw were a series of interlocked tenement rooms, some walls of which had been torn away to expose rooms within, rooms with no windows or doors. Following a path of fragile steps, Seifer made his way to the lighted room and entered.

Seifer walked into a dark cavernous room, resembling a rib-cage of a hollowed-out monster. As he continued forward, he stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted a single box in the core of the dome.

With each step, the box grew smaller and the room grew wider. He looked around, realizing the chamber was breathing. He shivered, moving his hands to hold his arms close to his chest.

"_̙̘̚__R__̛̞̜__el__͇͆__ease _̷̷̷_m__̦̥̤̤__e a_̨̨̨̊_nd __̠̠̠__I _͊͊͊_will_̷̷ _re__̠̠__w_͠_ard y_͊͊͊_ou __̥̤ᾧ__ith _̨̨̨_wh_͊͊_at ỵ̣̣̣̣̣o_̷̢̢̢_u de_͊͊͊͊_sire…"_The voice flooded his mind, as if it had read his thoughts.

He stopped in front of the box. A charred, locked box wrapped in chains and razor wire. Steam emitted from the seal and on the center of the lid was a keyhole.  
_"Re_̷̷̷_lease _̷̷_me!"  
_Seifer looked down at his hand, unsure of how long he had been holding a key. He fumbled with it in his fingers, it was covered in a slick oil. He debated the idea, feeling eyes on him, burning him. Something told him to run, something told him to comply.  
_"Re_͊͊͊_l__̛̠̖̗̘̙̜__ea_̷̷_se _̨̨_m_͊͊͊_e an_̊_d _̷̷_I _̨̨_wi__͇̠̟̞̝̜__ll_̷̨̨̨ _be _̷̷͊_yo_̽_ur sl_̷̷̷_a__͇͆̈́͂ͅ__ve!"_

Seifer drew in a hard breath, holding it in as he shoved the key into the oil smeared padlock on the front of the box. He watched as it unlocked, steam billowing out of the seams of the lid, more than there should have been.

"_͆́̀̿_I_ sh__̗̘̙̜̝̘̞̟̠__all _͊_obey_̷_ onl_͊_y you…"_

The chains that had bound it together fell off as if the only thing holding them together was the lock.

"What are you?" Seifer whispered nervously as he lifted the lid. The world around him grew so dark, the only thing he could see was this single box.

"_͆__I w__̡̠_̊_a__̢__s __ὃ_̨̨̨_nce__̞̞__̛̛̛̝̜̚__ a _̝̝̝̝̝̝_p_̷̷̷_ow_̊_erful g__̡̢__o__̧̦̙̘__d. B_̷̷̷_efo__̀́͂__re yo__͇̓̈́͆ͅ__ur ti_̨̨̨_m__͇__e__͇__͇__I w__̡̟̠__̢__as all t__̀́͂__h__̞̿__a_͠_t was _̊_a__̵̗̞̟̖__n__̜̜̜__d _̷_a_̨̨̨_ll tha_̊_t eve_̨̨̨_r̉ woul_̨̨̨̨_d b_̨̨̨̨_e. I h_̽_ad _͠_a n_̨̨̨_a_̊_me—Z__̵̞̟__A__͇̈́ͅ__D__̠̖_͊̊_K__͈_̊_Ἷ͆__E__͇̗̝̠͇͈_͊͊̽_L__̝̞_̊_! __͇̟̠̞__Hy_̽̽̽_ne to_͠͠_o_̽_k __͇̠̟̞__my n_̷̷_a__̝̝̝__me an_̷̷̷_d gave_̷̷̽_me __̞__a p_͠_ur_̽_pose."_

With tremendous caution, he looked into the box as a hand shot straight out, grabbing his collar.

"_̎̏̚__ C_̨̨̨̨̽̽_all_̨̨̨̨̨̽̽_m_̽̽_e_̽_̏̐̑̒̓̔̊̋̌̍̎̏̐̑̒̓̔__̕̚̕̚__̔̕̚̕̚̕̚̕̚__̡̢̛̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠̊̋̌̍̎̏̚__̡̢̡̢̛̛̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠̊̋̌̍̎̏̐̑̒̓̔̊̋̌̍̎̏̐̑̒̓̔__̕̚̕̚__ R_̽̽͠_e__͢͢͢͢͡͡͡__t__ri__͠͠͡͡͡__b_̷̷_uti_̽̽̽_on__̍̎̏̐̑̒̓̔̕̚̕̚__̡̢̛̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠̊̋̌̍̎̏̚__̡̢̡̢̛̛̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠̊̋̌̍̎̏̐̑̒̓̔̊̋̌̍̎̏̐̑̒̓̔__̕̚̕̚" _

Snapped back into reality he felt Torrin grab the collar of his henley and jerked him to attention, studying his face. If the twins hadn't been holding him up, he would've fallen to the ground in a mess. Confused he shook his head, the pain returning back to him almost in a flash.

_What the fuck was that? _

An even deeper pain shot through him as he realized that nothing had changed around him. He groaned deep within his throat, almost wanting to scream.

"You know, when I found out you got her knocked up, I wasn't mad." Torrin shrugged, a sinister smile on his face. "In fact, I was belated, because it meant that I had the right opportunity to destroy you…" Torrin leaned in and licked the blood off of his brother's cheek with a swift smear, not even phasing Seifer's cold, horrified look. "I guess we have something in common. Such a waste of good pussy huh? Truly a sad day for you isn't it?" He started to walk off, the twins still holding a tight grip.

"I'm going to kill you." Seifer growled, struggling to stand.

"Is that so…"Torrin turned around, aiming the gun at Seifer's head. "I do believe the Holy Dollet Empire will send you back to the Department of Control before _that_ ever happens. You shoulda known, Seifer."

̡̢̛̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠̊̋̌̍ ̎̏̚ ̡̢̡̢̛̛̖C̷_a_̨̨̨_ll_ ̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠̊̋̌̍̎̏ ̷̷̐̑̒̓̔̊̋̌̍̎̏̐̑̒̓_my n__̞̞̟̠__am__̗̘̙__e ́a__̵̗̞̟̖__n__̜̜̜__d_ ̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠̊̋̌̍̎̏ ̐̑̒̓̔̊̋̌̍̎̏̐̑̒̓_I s h_̽_all_ ̌̍̎̏̿̿̿̚_co _̷̷_me_ ̔̕̚̕̚_to yo__͇̓̈́͆ͅ__ur aıįd…_ ̵̡̢̛̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠͇̊̋ ̌̍̎̏̿̿̿̚

Seifer looked down, watching as his hands began to glow red. He felt the same feeling he had in the Training Center with the Ruby Dragon—except this one was stronger, more powerful.

"Everything was going to be perfect and then _you_ ruined it!"

Seifer's pulse raced, his heart felt as though it was pumping concrete.

"Got anything to say baby brother? Tell me, I'm curious—what are you feeling!" Torrin aimed the gun back at the convulsing female behind him.

The pain surging from within him had been replaced with something familiar. It hit him like a rush of déjà vu.  
_̡̢̡̢̛̛̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠̖̗̘̙̜̝̞̟̠̊̋̌̍̎̏̐̑̒̓̔̊̋̌̍̎̏̐̑̒̓̔__Ca__̧__l__̵__l__̴___ f__͢__o__̡̧́__r__̵__̵_, ̷̷ m̶e̢̧͡͠…_ ̥̥̥__I__̕__͡__w__̷__i__̡́__l__̴__l__̢̨͢__̛__p__̵͡__r__̴͡__otec__̡̨̀__t__̨__̴̡__ y__̕__o__̢__u__̷̧__̕̕͢__

It was something he wasn't sure what. He tried choking it down, but failed. The sensation was boiling over and he couldn't stop it. His head fell low, blood trickling from his lips.

Torrin sneered, firing the gun in the air. The noise of the fireworks cushioned the noise from anyone else.

Seifer's eyes snapped open, right at Torrin, dark and dilated. "Retribution."

A motion caught Mik's attention. As he looked to Seifer's skin, his heart skipped a beat, watching something expanding under Seifer's shirt; blood seeping through, as if something inside was trying to burst right through.

Almost in an instant, the deep red hue from his hands spread, covering his body. The twins let go simultaneously, their hands blistered from the intense heat emitting from Seifer's body, but his body didn't fall.

It hurt; it hurt like hell as Seifer's bones felt as if they were being separated. He screamed through clenched teeth so tight that they could almost crack. His head felt as though it was in a vice, pulsing as something within forced itself out. At its apex, Seifer groaned harshly, the ground around him becoming charred, ash flew into the air as long twisted oil smeared chains shot out from his back, the hooks attached to the end latched onto the stone walls between them. The pain was so intense yet so liberating.

The twins and Torrin backed away next to Urvo, who looked on with amazement and horror. Torrin glanced at the loose chains, watching as they tightened, pulling hard.

Seifer's body lunged forward, feeling something large opening his back and crawling out. He groaned lowly, his body convulsing as the horrific disembodied voice took physical form, leaving Seifer's body.

The creature that had appeared grew, dwarfing Seifer by a few feet. The dark creature's tendrils surrounded Seifer's body in a series of twisted chains. It body rippled with waves of oil, vibrating as it pushed it's strength outward, unwinding the chains that had kept him tied together. Retribution held them at the cuffed wrists, looming over those who Seifer wished death upon. As the chains slid against the walls, deep oil smeared along, spreading until there was nothing left to spread.

Retribution's head reared back, its loud ear-piercing shriek shattering glass at the peak of its intensity. The wicked creature's jagged pointed finger jabbed toward Torrin, its eyes glowing with malice.

From town square, as Selphie and Zell searched through the oblivious crowd, they look overhead, watching as the fireworks started up again. As if it opened a past memory, Selphie's ears perked to the gravely familiar noise in the alley. Her grip on Zell's forearm tightened. Her eyes widened in terror as she gasped. "What is it?" Zell yelled over the band. "Something's happened!" It was Selphie's turn to rush through the crowd, putting more effort into it than Zell.

The low drone rose in pitch as the demon whipped the chains behind it and hurled them forward towards Torrin, slapping them onto the ground, creating the spark. As it hit the surface of the alley, it created a pulse so powerful it destroyed everything in its path. It threw Torrin and the group out of the alley, but not before slicing across Tor's chest, spilling oil on his chest, neck, face. In an instant, the area ignited with a brilliant searing flash, setting fire to everything the oil had touched.

"_I__̛__n__̶̛̕__t__̧__o __͡__a__̡__͡__sl__́͢__u__̀__m__̨̕__b__̨__er___ I__̶̕__͡__s__̷__h__̛__al__̕__l__͠__ g__̀__o __͢͡__u__̵̵__nti__̧̢__l __̕͢__I__̧__̶͡__am`n__́__e__̶̀__e____de__̨͢__d__̨____a__̨̛́__g__̛__ain__̶̛̕__…_" Seifer felt the guardian force dissipate above him into a thick mist, creeping back into his body. As the Guardian Force disappeared, Seifer dropped onto the ground, a thread's grasp from death. He groaned, almost in a sob from the agony he suffered through. It nearly took what was left of his energy to lift his own head, watching as Nino slid down the back of the wall, leaving a trail of blood. Seifer crawled to her as though he was trying to move with the bones removed from his knees. He finally scrambled to his feet, somehow finding the strength to make it to her side._

"Nino…" Seifer lifted her head, watching her shiver violently. He gained the courage to look down at the wounds, making a low noise when he realized it was too late.

She jerked her hand up, yanking at his shirt collar. Seifer swallowed, scooping her up in his arms and brushing the hair out of her face. She gasped, fighting for air, fighting to let out a few syllables to speak to Seifer. Seifer looked into her eyes, unable to speak. The once enchanting green eyes Seifer would get lost in were losing their light. "Don't talk, baby…" He forged a smile when he spoke. "You're going to be ok—I promise…" He heard footsteps behind him, knowing someone was screaming at him but the noises didn't register. He could only hear Nino's ragged breathing as she was dying. Everything to him at that moment sounded muted, garbled.

"Lux…he isn't…I'm…" She held onto his collar tighter, fearing the worst.

"Shh…Lux is safe. He's in Balamb!" Seifer hushed, whipping his head around for any signs of help. He saw Zell standing there with Selphie. Neither seemed they were sure what to do. Behind Zell and Selphie were the townspeople of Dollet crowding around the scene.

"GO GET HELP! SHE'S BEEN SHOT!" He turned his head back, watching as Nino lifted a shaking hand to his face, running her bloody fingers across his lips.

Selphie's clasped hands stayed to her mouth as she slowly dragged her feet through the ash, wanting to help somehow, some way. She looked at the damage the GF had done, almost in shock from that alone.

"S…Seifer…" Nino choked out, blood spilling out of the side of her mouth. Her eyes looked completely alien to Seifer. Dim, lifeless. "I…have to…I'm sorry…" Nino's voice was halting. Her lungs took in a sharp breath of fresh air as she touched his face, as though she wanted him to be the last thing she saw before dying.

Seifer and Nino; locked in a fatal moment of tenderness, sharing a look of loneliness that only they could understand. Seifer blinked away the tears stinging his eyes, feeling Nino's life slipping between his arms. "I don't know what to do, Nino…I don't know…"

Selphie's eyes gazed down at Seifer's hands, watching in fright as they turned blue.

Desperately, he wanted to take her pain away but didn't know if he could. Before Seifer could speak, he began to feel pain spreading through his arms, his neck, immediately feeling it run downwards throughout his entire body. Whatever it was he felt, it had begun to course through his veins, his skin, his nerves. He let out a sharp exhale.

Looking down, Selphie watched as blood began to seep through Seifer's shirt and the blood stop from Nino's wounds in her chest.

Seifer looked around realizing that his eyesight was failing him, watching as everything became a blinding light. He was blacking out. Seifer snapped back into reality, shaking his head. He glanced around, noticing the airship flying overhead but he was snapped back by the sounds of Nino's ragged breathing standing out like glass raking through her lungs as she gasped for air. Her eyes started to bob back and forth from Seifer's gaze to the wall and then to the sky. "I'm…scared…"

"_Keep looking at me…don't stop looking at me… please." _Seifer smiled sadly and kissed her forehead. "I—just—wanted—to—" She started gasping for air. "I know, Nino. Don't be afraid. I'm right here—look at me…I won't leave you…I promise. Besides, I still need to tell you that I…" He trailed off, watching Nino's breathing slowing down to a halt. "Nino! Look at me!" Seifer held in his breath, feeling suffocated. "Wake up…wake up…please don't go…" He clenched his jaw, taking a deep breath as she stopped responding. Seifer pleaded as tears fell from his bloodshot eyes. "I need you, Nino—don't leave me here…please don't leave me here…"

Time stopped at 1:46 p.m.

[End of Part One]


End file.
